India has introduced AIR SUVIDHA 2.0, a fully digital and contactless health declaration platform for international passengers, strengthening airport health surveillance as global authorities continue monitoring the ongoing Ebola outbreak in parts of Africa.
The upgraded system has been launched by the Ministry of Civil Aviation in collaboration with Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL). According to government officials, the platform has been introduced following the World Health Organization's (WHO) declaration of the Ebola/Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD) outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) under the International Health Regulations (IHR) 2005.
The digital platform is designed to improve the identification of potentially at-risk travellers while providing a smoother arrival process at Indian airports.
Developed in collaboration with the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, AIR SUVIDHA 2.0 requires international passengers to complete an online Health Self Declaration before immigration clearance.
According to officials, passengers can submit the declaration up to 24 hours before arriving in India, with travellers encouraged to complete the process before boarding their flight, preferably during web check-in.
Once submitted, passengers are required to present the downloaded declaration at the International Travel Health Desk or the Immigration Counter upon arrival.
The declaration captures key public health information, including:
Government officials said one of the key improvements in AIR SUVIDHA 2.0 is its integrated real-time data-sharing capability.
Passenger information submitted through the portal can be shared instantly with multiple government agencies, including:
According to officials, the integrated system will enable authorities to identify travellers who may require further assessment, facilitating timely monitoring, referral, testing and other public health interventions where necessary.
The platform also supports a fully digital and contactless arrival process, reducing manual paperwork while strengthening surveillance mechanisms at international airports.
Officials said the rollout follows heightened global monitoring of the current Ebola outbreak in parts of central Africa.
The WHO declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 17 May under the International Health Regulations framework.
The outbreak involves Bundibugyo virus disease, a species of Ebola virus disease capable of causing severe illness and outbreaks.
According to WHO assessments cited by government officials, neighbouring countries, including South Sudan, have also been categorised as high-risk areas for potential transmission.
Health authorities have consistently maintained that early detection of infected travellers plays an important role in limiting the international spread of infectious diseases.
According to the WHO, Ebola virus disease spreads through direct contact with the blood, bodily fluids or tissues of infected people or animals.
Common symptoms include:
The disease has an incubation period ranging from two to 21 days, making recent travel history and possible exposure important components of disease surveillance.
The WHO identifies rapid detection, isolation, contact tracing and surveillance among the most effective measures for limiting international transmission during outbreaks.
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