India launches AIR SUVIDHA 2.0 amid Ebola outbreak to strengthen airport health screening
New Delhi, June 25. The Ministry of Civil Aviation and Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) on June 25 launched AIR SUVIDHA 2.0, an upgraded contactless passenger health self-declaration portal aimed at strengthening disease surveillance at India’s international airports in response to the ongoing Ebola outbreak in parts of Africa.
The enhanced platform has been introduced following the World Health Organisation’s declaration of the Ebola and Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on May 17, 2026, under the International Health Regulations (2005).
According to the ministry, the current outbreak has been identified as Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD), while countries bordering the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, including South Sudan, have been classified by the WHO as high-risk areas for transmission.
Developed jointly with the Directorate General of Health Services under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, AIR SUVIDHA 2.0 requires all international passengers arriving in India to submit an online Health Self-Declaration before immigration clearance.
The declaration includes details of travellers’ 21-day travel history, possible exposure to infected individuals and any related symptoms.
Authorities said the digital platform enables real-time sharing of information with airport health officials, immigration authorities, the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme and state surveillance officers, allowing for faster identification and referral of potentially at-risk travellers.
The upgraded system is also expected to improve the passenger experience by eliminating the need for physical declaration forms upon arrival and ensuring a seamless, contactless process at airports.
Passengers can complete the Self-Declaration Form up to 24 hours before arriving in India and are encouraged to submit it before boarding their flights or during web check-in to facilitate quicker processing on arrival.
Travellers will only need to present the downloaded declaration form at the International Travel Health Desk or immigration counters at the airport.
The government has urged all international travellers to complete the self-declaration accurately and in advance in the interest of passenger safety and public health.
