Ebola outbreak: DGCA asks airlines to announce in-flight, take SOP steps | Today’s news
Amid the Ebola outbreak reported in parts of Africa, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the aviation regulator, has ordered airlines to take several precautionary measures, including in-flight announcements and ensuring that passengers arriving from or passing through affected countries complete mandatory declaration forms.
Ebola is a viral hemorrhagic fever caused by infection with the Bundibugyo virus strain of the Ebola virus. It is a serious disease with a high mortality rate. There are currently no vaccines or specific treatments approved to prevent or treat Ebola caused by the Bundibugyo strain.
The DGCA has also issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) outlining public health preparedness and measures to deal with Ebola cases.
Read also | India on alert for Ebola, Health Minister Nadda assesses preparedness
Airlines with (direct or indirect) connections to Uganda and Congo are required to complete and collect self-declaration forms before passengers disembark.
Air India, IndiGo, Akasa Air, Emirates, Air France, Etihad Airways and Egyptair are among the 13 carriers on the DGCA’s list of entities carrying passengers from Congo.
The list of 17 airlines carrying passengers from Uganda referred to by the regulator includes Air India, IndiGo and KLM.
Airlines are also required to announce in-flight that, in light of the current threat of Ebola, any passenger experiencing fever, weakness, muscle aches, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, bleeding should report to the crew and immigration/medical immediately upon arrival.
In the in-flight announcements, carriers should also mention “all passengers (passengers and crew), irrespective of nationality, will be required to fill a self-declaration form and submit it at the immigration/designated counter,” as per the DGCA advisory dated 22
In-flight and arrival protocols for suspected cases have also been specified by the DGCA, including that in such cases the aircraft should be parked in a separate, designated area.
Read also | India on alert for Ebola, Health Minister Nadda assesses preparedness
For suspected cases on board the aircraft, the DGCA said, among other measures, the passenger should be moved to the rear end of the aircraft and if possible, three rows in the front and side rows of the concerned passenger should be kept free.
Read also | DR Congo refuses to change FIFA World Cup 2026 plans despite US Ebola isolation warning
Airlines have also been told to ensure an adequate supply of three-layer masks, disposable gloves, PPE kits, hand sanitizers and bio-waste disposal bags.
“These are to be used for any reporting of passenger symptoms and for passengers who are likely to have been in contact,” the DGCA said.
On Monday, Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda said that no case of Ebola has been reported in the country so far as he reviewed preparedness and surveillance measures to prevent any possible outbreak in India.
Union Health Minister assesses Ebola preparedness
Minister Nadda reviewed the country’s Ebola preparedness and response measures following recent outbreaks reported in parts of Africa.
The World Health Organization (WHO) classified the outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), while the African CDC declared it a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS).
Officials said no cases of Ebola have been detected in India so far.
The review meeting was attended by senior officials including Health Secretary, ICMR Director General, Director General of Health Services (DGHS), Additional Secretary Public Health, NCDC Director and other representatives of the Ministry.
WHO urges DRC’s neighbors to take immediate action against Ebola
The neighboring country of the Democratic Republic of Congo faces a high risk of an Ebola epidemic and should take immediate steps to limit the spread of the virus, the WHO chief said on Monday.
“Countries neighboring the DRC are at particularly high risk and should take immediate action,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who will travel to the DRC, the epicenter of the current outbreak of the deadly disease, on Tuesday.
“The outbreak is spreading rapidly,” Tedros told a virtual ministerial meeting about the viral hemorrhagic fever, which spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids. It can cause severe bleeding and organ failure.
Read also | India advises against travel to Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and South Sudan during Ebola emergency
He said the current epidemic is “particularly challenging”.
The WHO said it had recorded 10 confirmed and 220 suspected Ebola-related deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo since May 15. One confirmed Ebola death was also reported in neighboring Uganda, AFP reported.
Meanwhile, the African CDC warned on Saturday that in addition to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, 10 other African countries are at risk of Ebola.
(With input from agencies)
