Bangkok: The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) said on Thursday that it has elevated surveillance and prevention measures for the Ebola virus disease within the country’s civil aviation system.
This move follows the World Health Organization (WHO)’s declaration of the Ebola virus outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda as a public health emergency of international concern due to the risk of cross-border transmission, reports Xinhua news agency.
The Thai public health ministry on Wednesday designated both African nations as dangerous communicable disease zones for the Ebola virus, prompting coordinated screening and response measures in civil aviation.
In a statement, the CAAT said it has joined planning sessions with the ministry’s Division of International Communicable Disease Control and Quarantine, alongside carriers and other stakeholders, to align public health protocols across the sector.
Authorities have urged the public to avoid non-essential travel to Congo and Uganda and neighbouring high-risk areas. Those who must travel are required to register through the Thai Health Pass system, while foreign nationals must accurately complete the Thailand Digital Arrival Card to support contact tracing and disease monitoring.
Airlines operating routes connected to affected regions have been instructed to inform passengers of public health requirements, screen passengers at the point of origin, and share passenger seating and travel data with disease-control officers to enable rapid follow-up.
The quarantine division has also rehearsed response plans for suspected cases identified on board or after arrival in Thailand, establishing coordination procedures between airlines, airports, health authorities, and supporting agencies to ensure continuity and limit operational disruption.
Speaking at a press conference, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that a WHO Emergency Committee met on Tuesday and agreed with his earlier assessment that the Ebola situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda is a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), but is not a pandemic emergency.
Tedros early on Sunday declared the PHEIC for the Ebola outbreak in the two countries, marking the first time a WHO chief had done so without first convening an Emergency Committee.
(IANS)
