The Boeny region has taken a first step in implementing a new approach aimed at strengthening prevention and early detection of communicable diseases. A vaccination campaign was held at the Ambondrona university campus. This initiative follows the official presentation last week of data collected through the Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) and its Flow Monitoring Points (FMP) system, installed at major entry points in Mahajanga.
As part of an International Organization for Migration (IOM) program, a Mpox vaccination campaign was accompanied by voluntary HIV testing at Mahajanga's main entry points. At Orange Quay, also known as the dhow quay, 162 of 168 people vaccinated against Mpox agreed to be tested. Results identified six new HIV-positive cases. During this operation, two other HIV-positive patients who had been lost to follow-up for a long time were also found.
The operation began on August 20 and is led by the IOM under its mission chief, Roger Charles Evina, in collaboration with local authorities. "The city of Mahajanga is recognized at regional and international levels and holds a strategic position in mobility dynamics and border management in the Boeny region. The choice of Mahajanga is not arbitrary—it is one of the most frequented places and a major hub of migration flows. The initiative started in Mahajanga, but the objective is to cover all the island's borders," said the IOM mission chief for Madagascar and the Comoros.
At Mahajanga port, 149 people, including 70 sailors, were vaccinated against Mpox on August 20, while 131 people agreed to HIV testing. No cases were detected. A vaccination campaign was also organized on the university campus within the preventive medicine service.
Beyond these figures, this reality underscores the importance of strengthening health surveillance at entry points and establishing monitoring mechanisms adapted to the needs of frontline workers, mobile populations, and host communities, while being able to rapidly detect health risks and direct interventions where most needed, an IOM representative added.
In total, 24,006 entries and 10,540 exits were recorded over three months in the Boeny region. This data should help better track population movements and strengthen early detection of health risks.
The port and Orange Quay are among Mahajanga's most frequented locations, according to FMP/DTM data. Between March 2 and May 18, the port recorded 8,157 entries and 4,649 exits. Those counted were 59% men and 41% women.
At Orange Quay, between March 2 and May 25, an average flow of 38 people per day was recorded, with 643 entries and 48 exits. Men represented 70% of those counted, compared to 30% women.