Health Authorities Introduce New Measures to Monitor Travellers at Seaports
Sia Lucy Kannah Sierra Leonean health authorities have engaged key maritime operators to strengthen biosecurity and border health surveillance by aligning seaport operations with the country’s updated public health compliance standards.
The engagement was led by the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the National Public Health Agency (NPHA) through their respective Point of Entry and Border Health programmes. It brought together representatives of the Sierra Leone Ports and Harbours Authority, international shipping agencies and logistics partners.
The meeting aimed to raise awareness and improve stakeholders’ understanding of two key instruments designed to strengthen health surveillance and compliance at maritime entry points: the Health Travel Policy and the Health Travel Portal.
The Health Travel Policy outlines standard operating procedures for mandatory health reporting by maritime vessels and inbound and outbound travellers, while the Health Travel Portal is a centralised digital platform designed to streamline passenger screening, digitise health declarations and facilitate real-time tracking of travel-related health data.
Through training and engagement with port operators and shipping agents, health officials seek to improve compliance with established public health requirements and strengthen the early detection of potential health threats before travellers enter the country.
The initiative forms part of broader efforts to enhance coordination among maritime stakeholders and public health authorities, improve health monitoring at Points of Entry and strengthen Sierra Leone’s preparedness to detect and respond to emerging public health threats.
It also supports the country’s obligations under the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005), an international framework aimed at preventing, detecting and responding to public health risks that may cross national borders.
By promoting digital passenger processing and strengthening communication between port authorities and health agencies, the initiative is expected to improve the monitoring of travellers while supporting efficient maritime operations and the uninterrupted movement of commercial shipping traffic.