Malawi Govt says no ebola screening for international travellers

While some countries have started screening passengers entering their realms to detect if they have Ebola virus, Malawi is still permitting travellers to enter without being medically examined.

The country is instead relying on mere observation by its medical staff placed in airports and borders.

Minister of Transport and Public Infrastructure Francis Kasaila in an interview on Thursday told Malawians not to get worried because “our borders and airports are safe.”

“The understanding right now is that the levels of threat are not at a point where we would require us to start screening every passenger. We have our professional staff from the Ministry of Health in all airports and borders observing and analysing travellers if they have signs of the disease and not necessarily stopping every passenger to conduct a medical test on him or her,” said Kusaila.

The minister said government was also relying on travellers, Malawians in particular, to report to authorities on their point of entry if they suspect anything strange on their way into the country.

“From the updates we are getting from out international stakeholders, we are yet to get to a stage where we can be carrying out tests on every person entering the country.

“In as far as the information we are getting is concerned, we are safe but our medical personnel are also on high alert in our airports and borders,” he explained.

The minister said government rests its hopes on the international community to come to its rescue, if the worst were to happen.

The Ebola virus, virus sometimes known as EVD, is highly infectious and has already killed more than 800 people in West Africa.