In a notable effort towards bolstering the border health security of India, the Government of India has activated the AIR SUVIDHA 2.0 portal for all passengers who arrive from and transit through Ebola-affected countries. In line with the current efforts of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, DIAL and DGHS, AIR SUVIDHA 2.0 is a digitized and improved version of the platform that seeks to improve public health surveillance along with providing a hassle-free experience to the travellers. This comes in the wake of increasing global concerns regarding the ongoing Ebola outbreak in some parts of Africa after the declaration by WHO that the outbreak constitutes Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
AIR SUVIDHA 2.0 substitutes the previous paper health declaration process with a completely digitized and contactless process. In accordance with new guidelines, passengers who travel from and transit through Ebola-affected countries have to fill an online Self Declaration Form (SDF). They are required to provide details regarding their 21-day travel history, possible exposures and symptoms of the disease if any. It is recommended that passengers declare the information up to 24 hours prior to their arrival, preferably during web check-in.
The new portal has been developed to enable the timely coordination between different government departments. The information provided by the travellers is transferred securely to Airport Health Officers, the Bureau of Immigration, the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), and the State Surveillance Officers. This system allows the identification of high-risk travellers in a timely manner and helps to take the relevant steps regarding their medical examination and quarantine without any inconvenience to other travellers.
It is the preventive measure undertaken by India to ensure that no infections enter the country via air travel. Even though India does not have any reported case of Ebola, health experts consider that the best way to prevent an outbreak is early detection of the disease at international points of entry. With the growing number of international flights, digital health surveillance tools like AIR SUVIDHA 2.0 help to monitor the travellers efficiently.
The initial deployment of the Air Suvidha portal came amid the COVID-19 pandemic in an effort to ease the process of filling out health declarations and contact tracing for foreign travelers. The second deployment of the Air Suvidha portal amidst the Ebola virus outbreak proves how the digital infrastructure created during one health emergency can serve well in solving another in the future. Moreover, the second iteration of the service makes travel more convenient through the absence of any paperwork.
It is recommended that travelers fill in the Self-Declaration Form accurately. On arrival at the airport, one may be required to present either a printed or digital confirmation of the form filled in at the International Travel Health Desk or the immigration counter.
In light of the developing scenario of Ebola for the global health community, the revamp of AIR SUVIDHA 2.0 in India highlights how the country is making efforts to ensure that there is no danger posed to the public health status in the country while at the same time not affecting international movements. With the use of technology and preventive surveillance measures, the government ensures that the risk of any diseases being imported into the country is minimized.
Team Yuva Aaveg-
Adarsh Tiwari
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