The United Nations civil aviation agency has developed a set of protective measures to screen passengers at international airports for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in an effort to stop the disease from spreading further.
The Montreal-based International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) said yesterday that the measures consist of specific procedures for screening passengers, as well as airport workers, at departure and on arrival. They also provide all passengers with guidance on handling of suspected cases on board.
“I am particularly pleased with the speed in which these anti-SARS protective measures were developed, through exemplary cooperation among all key players and with the critical start-up support of Singapore,” said the President of the ICAO Council, Assad Kotaite. “These measures can become a valuable model for dealing effectively with other contagious diseases that may emerge in the future.”
Based on guidelines issued by the UN World Health Organization (WHO), the set of measures and the evaluation criteria were finalized during a meeting held in Singapore from 2 to 4 June.
Singapore contributed to the establishment of the programme designed primarily for international airports in affected areas. Although Singapore was lifted from the WHO list of SARS-affected areas at the end of last month, the country’s Changi Airport will be the first airport to be evaluated under the programme.
ICAO said it would, upon request, make available a team of experts to evaluate the implementation by airports of the recommended measures. If the evaluation confirms that an airport has taken all necessary steps to protect against SARS, a “Statement of Evaluation” will be issued, certifying that the airport fully complies with the recommended SARS protective measures.