New Delhi: The Ministry of Civil Aviation, in partnership with Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), has launched AIR SUVIDHA 2.0, a fully contactless passenger health self-declaration portal aimed at strengthening public health checks at international entry points amid concerns over the ongoing Ebola outbreak.
Officials said the upgraded platform was introduced after the World Health Organization declared the Ebola/Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on May 17 under the International Health Regulations, 2005. They added that the current outbreak has been identified as Bundibugyo virus disease, while neighbouring countries such as South Sudan have been classified as high-risk areas for possible transmission.
The portal, developed with the Directorate General of Health Services under the Health Ministry, will require arriving international passengers to submit an online health declaration before immigration clearance. The form will seek details of the traveller’s 21-day travel history, exposure history and any symptoms.
Officials said AIR SUVIDHA 2.0 is designed to improve health monitoring without disrupting passenger convenience. The system will share data in real time with agencies including the Airport Health Officer, Bureau of Immigration, Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme and state surveillance authorities.
According to officials, the integrated process will help identify at-risk passengers quickly and support timely referral and monitoring if needed. At the same time, the system will remove the need for paper declaration forms on arrival, making the process fully contactless.
The self-declaration form can be filled up to 24 hours before arrival in India, and passengers have been advised to complete it before boarding, preferably during web check-in. After submission, travellers will need to show the downloaded form at the International Travel Health Desk or immigration counter.
Officials urged all international passengers to fill in the declaration accurately and in advance in the interest of passenger and public health.
(Inputs from IANS)