Arusha — Tanzania and fellow East African Community (EAC) partner states have resolved to concentrate on Ebola virus prevention through intensive screening at the region's airports.
An emergency meeting held to address the outbreak of the pandemic in the region has directed all airlines to carry special surveillance forms onboard for all arriving passengers to fill in; to ensure that the EAC Secretariat and Civil Aviation Safety and Security Oversight Agency (CASSOA) develop a monitoring and evaluation tool to follow-up on the implementation.
The emerging Ebola threat in West Africa has become a global concern with serious consequences. Experts believe that possible transportation of infected persons by air transport is a reality.
The sessions were chaired by the Safety Manager at the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), Mr Harrison Machio, and attended by delegates from Kenya Airport Authority (KAA); Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA); Tanzania Airport Authority (TAA); Burundi Civil Aviation Authority (BCAA); Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority (RCAA) and the Civil Aviation Authority Uganda (CAAU).
Participants also included officials from the Uganda Ministry of Health; Uganda Ministry of East African Community Affairs; Entebbe Airport Handling Services Limited; East African Community Secretariat; and EAC Civil Aviation Safety & Security Oversight Agency.
Participants individually introduced mechanisms to proactively address the matter in coordination with the ministries responsible for health, EAC Secretariat and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
They agreed to conduct screening at entry point of all persons at international airports, seaports and major land crossings, especially those from the highest risk countries of West Africa.
It was also concluded that East African countries shouldprovide medical advice on the pandemic to all travellers to and from the high risk regions of the world as well as instituting measures to detect, investigate and manage the disease, including ensuring access to qualified diagnostic laboratory, referral health services, isolation and evacuation.
Measures should also be undertaken to ensure the protection from Ebola infection of passengers, airline crew and staff, including those working in affected regions of West Africa and restricting international travel of Ebola Virus Disease contacts or cases unless the travel is part of an appropriate supervised medical evacuation.
Others are mandate establishment and testing of National Aviation Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Plans. Foster effective lines of communication between the Public Health Sector and the Civil Aviation Sector including airlines to mitigate and prevent the spread of the disease and other communicable diseases into the East African region.
Governments and responsible authorities have been asked to comply with airport Preparedness Guidelines and strengthen infrastructure to prevent possible outbreaks of Ebola Virus Disease and other communicable diseases, develop and test contingency plans on business continuity management for airports, airlines and other related businesses at the airport.
More measures drawn include strengthening surveillance and management of on-board cases of suspected Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) and other communicable diseases through the provision of training and awareness campaigns for all airport stakeholders, including the provision of adequate sanitary facilities and first aid kits.
On August 8, 2014, WHO declared Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in West Africa Region as a "Public Health Emergency of International Concern" (PHEIC) under the International Health Regulations (IHR).
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