IOM, KMA Partner to Sanitise Migration Services, Enhance Public Health in Kumasi
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has extended its operational footprint to Kumasi to decentralise migration management, combat irregular migration, and strengthen public health interventions across Ghana’s middle and northern belts.
The Chief Migration Health Officer for Central and West Africa, Dr Samuel Beghuma Ahadi, disclosed this during a courtesy call on the Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Richard Ofori-Agyemang Boadi, at the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA).
Dr Ahadi explained that bringing IOM’s specialised health screenings, travel advisories, and reintegration frameworks closer to residents will alleviate the operational pressure on Accra while curbing irregular migration through reliable, grassroots public education.
“Decentralising our operations ensures that potential migrants and returnees across the middle and northern sectors can access official screening, tailored training, and structured reintegration support right here in Kumasi,” Dr Ahadi noted.
The bilateral engagement focused on strategic joint action areas, including intra-African mobility, public health interventions targeting congested market communities, and designated support protocols for cross-border truck drivers facilitating regional trade.
In his response, the Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Richard Ofori-Agyemang Boadi, commended the IOM for selecting Kumasi as a strategic regional hub.
He stressed that direct access to verified international travel information is vital for helping local youth make informed, legal mobility choices.
Mr Ofori-Agyemang Boadi further directed that immediate institutional synergies be established between the IOM, the Kumasi Metropolitan Health Directorate, and the Regional Health Directorate to roll out comprehensive health interventions across the metropolis.
The partnership marks a decisive step toward promoting safe, orderly, and regular migration while building resilient health systems across the Ashanti Region.
Bala Ali, ISD
