India steps up Ebola vigil: DGCA mandates passenger screening, in-flight health alerts

India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has issued fresh standard operating procedures (SOPs) for airlines to strengthen surveillance against the Ebola outbreak in parts of Africa, making passenger screening and health declarations mandatory for travellers arriving from or transiting through Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The move comes amid
growing global concern over the spread of Ebola after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak in Uganda and DRC a
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recently
warned that authorities were “playing catch-up” as delays in identifying infections had allowed the outbreak to spread rapidly. He cautioned that the situation was “likely to get worse before it gets better”.

India has also stepped up its broader precautionary measures. Earlier this week, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
issued a travel advisory asking Indian nationals to avoid non-essential travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and South Sudan.

The advisory was issued soon after WHO raised the outbreak to the highest level of international public health alert.

Mandatory self-declaration forms for passengers

According to a DGCA office order dated May 22, all passengers and crew members arriving from affected regions will now be required to fill out self-declaration forms (SDFs), irrespective of nationality. The forms must be submitted at designated immigration or health counters upon arrival in India.

The aviation regulator said that the measure was aimed at early identification of possible Ebola cases and preventing transmission within the country. Countries bordering Uganda and DRC, including South Sudan, have also been identified as high-risk zones for potential disease spread.

Airlines have additionally been instructed to make mandatory health announcements during flights, informing passengers about Ebola symptoms and encouraging immediate reporting of any illness.

Airlines directed to report symptomatic passengers

According to a report in Business Standard, under the new SOPs, passengers have been advised to immediately inform cabin crew members or health authorities if they experience symptoms associated with Ebola, including fever, weakness, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, vomiting, rash or unexplained bleeding.

The DGCA has further directed airlines to advise passengers that if symptoms develop within 21 days of arrival in India, they must seek medical help at designated hospitals and inform airport health authorities without delay.

Crew training and aircraft disinfection made compulsory

According to the report, the aviation regulator has also introduced specific onboard protocols for handling suspected Ebola cases during flights. Airlines operating in and around the affected regions must designate a single cabin crew member to attend to any symptomatic passenger in order to minimise exposure to others onboard.

Aircraft arriving from high-risk areas will also need to undergo proper disinfection procedures after landing. In addition, airlines have been asked to conduct targeted training sessions for crew members on public health safety measures and emergency response protocols related to Ebola management.

The latest measures form part of India’s wider effort to prevent any possible import of Ebola infections as health authorities closely monitor the evolving situation in Africa.