AIR SUVIDHA 2.0: Contactless Health Declaration Portal
Why in the news
India revived and upgraded its airport health declaration system to watch for imported cases after the WHO declared an Ebola-type outbreak a global emergency. The launch was by the aviation ministry with the Delhi airport operator.
Key facts
- Launchers: Ministry of Civil Aviation and DIAL; built with the Directorate General of Health Services (Health Ministry).
- Launch date given: 25 June 2026.
- Trigger: WHO’s PHEIC declaration on 17 May 2026 over spread of Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD) in DRC and Uganda.
- Risk view: WHO sees nations next to DRC and Uganda, South Sudan among them, as at high risk of transmission.
- Disease: BVD is one of six recognised species of the Ebolavirus genus.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Form of portal | Web-based, contactless and paperless |
| Who must use it | All international arriving passengers |
| Content of the declaration | 21-day travel history, exposure history, symptoms |
| When to file | Up to 24 hours before arrival; ideally before boarding or at web check-in |
| On arrival | Present the saved PDF or QR receipt to the health desk for international travellers, or at immigration |
Agencies linked in real time
- Airport Health Officer: health screening at airports.
- Bureau of Immigration: immigration clearance.
- Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme: outbreak detection.
- State Surveillance Officers: state monitoring and contact tracing.
Background
- PHEIC: an extraordinary event that the WHO chief (Director-General) declares using the International Health Regulations (IHR), 2005, once the IHR Emergency Committee advises; triggers stronger surveillance, travel advisories and alerts.
- IHR 2005: binding framework passed in 2005 at the 58th World Health Assembly, in force from 15 June 2007, with 194 member states; amended in June 2024 to add a “Pandemic Emergency” category.
- Original AIR SUVIDHA: started in 2020 during COVID-19, with RT-PCR report uploads; dropped in February 2022; revived as 2.0 in June 2026.
- DIAL: runs Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi, a public-private venture where Fraport AG holds 10%, Airports Authority of India 26% and GMR 64%.
Exam angle
- Full form of PHEIC and IHR.
- Who declares a PHEIC: WHO Director-General, not the UNSC.
- Portal is for international, not domestic, arrivals.