India’s civil aviation authority has just launched a health self-declaration portal for passengers, where a form must be mandatorily filled out by all international travellers arriving into the country.
The Air Suvidha 2.0, launched on Thursday, June 25, comes in response to the ongoing Ebola disease outbreak.
The portal ensures international arriving passengers submit a mandatory online health self-declaration, which covers their 21-day travel history, exposure history and related symptoms, if any — prior to immigration clearance.
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The launch follows the WHO’s declaration of the Ebola/Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak in Congo and Uganda as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on May 17, 2026, under the International Health Regulations (IHR) 2005, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) said in its statement.
The current outbreak has been confirmed as Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD), and countries bordering DRC and Uganda — including South Sudan — have been assessed as high-risk for transmission.
Air Suvidha 2.0 form
The Airsuvidha Self Declaration Form (SDF) can be completed within 24 hours of the start of the journey to India.
Passengers are requested to fill the forms before boarding of the flight , during web check-in for swift clearance on arrival and are only required to show the downloaded SDF at the International Travel Health Desk or Immigration counter.
The portal enables real-time data sharing with the Airport Health Officer, Bureau of Immigration, IDSP and State Surveillance Officers, enabling swift identification and referral of at-risk travellers — while keeping the arrival experience contactless, with no physical forms to fill on landing.
All international travellers have been urged to complete their self-declaration accurately and in advance to ensure safety of themselves and fellow passengers.
Ebola outbreak
Ebola, which is spread through close contact and bodily fluids, has killed more than 15,000 people in Africa over the past 50 years.
The current outbreak was declared on May 15 in northeastern DR Congo, but the virus is believed to have spread under the radar for some time beforehand.
There are no approved vaccines or treatments for the rare Bundibugyo species of Ebola behind the outbreak.
The WHO and the African CDC have launched a $518-million plan to battle the outbreak over the next six months, focusing among other things on boosting surveillance, laboratory testing and infection prevention.
“The outbreak is moving fast, and we are still playing catch-up,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters.
“We need to stop the outbreak where it is, support countries that are responding today, and ensure that neighbouring countries are ready to detect and act quickly if cases appear,” he said.
“This is a serious outbreak and its one we know how to stop but we need to move fast and together.”
Inputs from AFP
