Ranit Kr. Singh , New Delhi — Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) issued a vital health advisory on Thursday, instructing all international passengers arriving from or transiting through Ebola-affected countries to report immediately to airport health officials before immigration clearance. The preventive measure targets individuals arriving from heavily impacted nations, including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Uganda, and South Sudan. Travelers exhibiting symptoms such as fever, vomiting, diarrhea, or unexplained bleeding, or those who have come into contact with the bodily fluids of suspected patients, are required to undergo immediate medical screening.

This airport directive follows a high-level review meeting convened by Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava on Wednesday to assess India's national preparedness and response capabilities. While health ministry officials confirmed that no cases of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) have been detected in India, the government proactively strengthened countrywide surveillance and distributed detailed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for quarantine, testing, and case management to all states and Union Territories. The heightened vigilance comes after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the current outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

The global threat continues to escalate rapidly in Africa, where 8 to 34 cases have been officially confirmed in the DRC, though the WHO cautions that the true scale of the epidemic is significantly larger. Neighboring Uganda has also reported active cases, triggering strict cross-border anxieties. Reassuring the public about the nation's capacity to contain potential imports based on successful containment strategies used during the 2014 African outbreak, a senior health ministry official stated, “The government of India remains fully vigilant and prepared to respond swiftly to any emerging situation; citizens are advised that there is no cause for panic.”