The Union Health Ministry has directed all states and Union Territories to intensify disease surveillance, strengthen hospital preparedness and enhance screening of international travellers after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
In a communication issued to chief secretaries and UT administrators on May 21, Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava said countries sharing borders with the affected regions, including South Sudan, face a heightened risk of transmission, necessitating precautionary measures across India’s public health network.
The ministry said that although the current global risk outside the affected African region remains low, increasing international travel and trade require countries to remain vigilant and fully prepared to respond to any possible health emergency.
States and UTs have been instructed to enhance monitoring under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) to detect unusual clusters of illness, particularly among individuals with recent travel history to Ebola-affected countries.
The advisory listed key symptoms associated with Ebola Virus Disease, including fever, severe weakness, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, skin rash and redness of eyes.
Authorities have also been asked to identify dedicated isolation wards and ambulances, while ensuring adequate stocks of personal protective equipment (PPE), trained healthcare staff, laboratory facilities and critical care infrastructure.
The ministry said the Indian Council of Medical Research’s National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, is fully equipped to test suspected Ebola samples received from airports, seaports or community surveillance systems. Additional ICMR laboratories may also be upgraded depending on the evolving situation.
The advisory stressed close coordination among airport and port health authorities, district surveillance units and other agencies to facilitate timely information sharing and monitoring of travellers requiring public health follow-up.
According to the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) attached with the advisory, passengers arriving from Ebola-affected countries will undergo thermal screening and health assessment at entry points. Travellers displaying symptoms suggestive of Ebola will be immediately shifted to designated isolation facilities for testing and medical management.
The SOP further mandates a 21-day monitoring protocol for travellers arriving from affected regions and outlines detailed procedures related to quarantine, infection control, laboratory diagnosis, contact tracing and treatment.
The Health Secretary urged all states and UTs to immediately review their preparedness plans and ensure robust systems are in place for early detection and swift response to any potential public health threat.(KINS)
