The IOM’s Migration Health Department delivers direct services to a wide variety of mobile people, including migrants, refugees, displaced populations, students, long term visitors, demobilized soldiers, trafficked persons, and voluntary returnees. These services include preventive and curative health activities such as the assessment of fitness to travel, the provision of immunizations, the promotion of health through awareness and education, and the detection and treatment of infections and diseases.

IOM assists in the resettlement of migrants and refugees by providing pre-departure health assessments as requested by receiving countries. Such health assessments are part of the wider process of the resettlement application, a process that differs from country to country. Some States request a blood test for the detection of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV); such tests are compulsory if the candidate wishes to pursue his or her immigration application.

This Guide was designed within the United States Refugee Program (USRP) with the support of the United States Department Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) and is focused on HIV counselling within the context of resettlement. However, the same HIV counselling principles most certainly apply to other contexts.