Checking the Health Status of Travelers to Algeria

Prime Minister Nadire Larbaoui signed a new decree defining the tasks of the border health control service, which consists of investigating and checking the health status of travelers to Algeria, to prevent the spread of global infectious diseases.

According to Executive Decree No. 277-24 defining the tasks, organization and operation of the Border Health Surveillance Service, the Prime Minister has set the conditions for border health surveillance, which aims to prevent and combat diseases of international spread at land, air and sea entry points, in the application of the global health regulations to which Algeria is part.

This is done through all entry points, including international corridors open to passengers, luggage, cargo, containers, means of transport, goods and postal parcels, considering the land crossing as a ground entry point used by road vehicles and trains.

The new decree provides for establishing a border health control service at the level of each public neighbourhood health institution and a headquarters at the border entry point at a port, airport or land. The list of border health control services and their entry points are determined according to each wilaya by a decision of the Health Minister.

The tasks of the Border Health Surveillance Service, according to the decree issued in the latest issue of the Official Gazette, aim to prevent the national and international spread of infectious diseases and to confront all other health threats of a nuclear, radiological, biological and chemical nature, and to declare and report any suspicion or confirm a disease with a mandatory declaration under national or international surveillance according to the legislation and regulations in force.

The National Contact Center for International Health Regulations and the National Agency for Health Security are also informed by all possible means of all events that may constitute a public health emergency of a national or international dimension. Coordination is carried out with the epidemiology and preventive medicine services of the Public Establishment for Neighborhood Health to initiate an epidemiological investigation and search for persons who have been in contact with suspicious or sick travellers and to determine all the needs of the service in terms of human resources, means and equipment.

The activities of the border health control centres and international vaccination units, traveller guidance and evaluation are supervised, and coordination with other stakeholders at entry points, particularly security, customs, civil protection, veterinary and plant health services, is ensured. The competent services of the Ministry in charge of health security are informed of all events that may pose a national or international threat to public health.

The border health control centre is established at airports, ports and land crossings. Its mission is to monitor and observe the health status of travelers and crews, and to monitor vaccinations and chemical prevention required by international regulations or to require vaccination or preventive measures as appropriate to cases.

Suspected travellers are isolated pending their transfer to the designated reference hospital services, and travellers are designated and means of transport, luggage, cargo, goods and postal parcels that require quarantine in appropriate designated places are identified.

Travellers who pose a risk to public health are also prevented from entering the country in consultation with the competent services within the scope of their respective mandates.

In cooperation with the epidemiology and preventive medicine services, when necessary, a search is also carried out for persons who have been in contact with suspected travellers or those infected with diseases that may pose a threat to public health, and a declaration is made to the border health control service. Any suspicion or confirmation of a disease for which a declaration is mandatory under national or international control is notified while observing the general rules for maintaining health at entry points and monitoring the vectors and reservoirs of pathogens.