Govt takes measures to prevent spread of diseases through airports
The government has taken measures to prevent spread of all sorts of communicable diseases through the international airports of Bangladesh. As part of the initiatives, a 24-bed hospital near Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) has been set up. Also, the government runs medical centres at all international airports round the clock.
Air Vice Marshal M Mafidur Rahman, Chairman, Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh said this in his speech at the opening ceremony of 11th International CAPSCA-AP Meeting of International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) held at Le Meridien Dhaka on October 21.
Air Vice Marshal M Mafidur Rahman, Chairman of Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh attended the opening ceremony as the Chief Guest. Dr Hammam El Sakka, Team Leader, WHE, WHO Country Office, Bangladesh and Parakrama Dissanayake, Regional Coordinator, ICAO CAPSCA-AP also spoke on the occasion.
Dr Ansa Jordaan, Programme Manager, CAPSCA and Head of Aviation Medicine Section of ICAO was also present at the event.
This is the first time International CAPSCA-AP Meeting is being held in Bangladesh, jointly organised by ICAO and CAAB. Representatives from 16 member countries and four associate bodies of ICAO is attending the four-day long meeting.
Member countries present at the programme include Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, Vietnam, Nepal, Malaysia, China and many others.
At the meeting, aviation experts underlined the imperative need for measures to prevent transfer of communicable diseases through airlines from one country to another.
They suggested increasing cooperation among civil aviation authorities, public health authorities, airports, air traffic services and airlines of all ICAO member countries to check spread of communicable diseases through aviation channels.
The Chairman of CAAB urged all national and international airlines operating in Bangladesh to strictly follow ICAO regulations and guidelines to check if there is a risk of spread of communicable disease through airlines at home and abroad.
The CAPSCA is a global, collaborative arrangement, established in 2006 between international organisations, including ICAO, WHO, United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Airports Council International (ACI). It aims to prevent spread of communicable diseases from passengers travelling through the airports to ensure protection of public health.
