By Amin Kef (Ranger)
The Director General of the Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority (SLCAA), Musayeroh Barrie, has reaffirmed the Authority’s commitment to strengthening public health surveillance and aviation safety by intensifying the implementation of the Sierra Leone Health Travel Portal at the Freetown International Airport (FNA).
As part of efforts to enhance border health security, the SLCAA convened a high-level stakeholder engagement that brought together airline representatives, officials from the Ministry of Health, the National Public Health Agency (NPHA), and other key aviation partners to advance the operationalization of the digital Health Travel Portal.
The engagement focused on addressing practical implementation challenges while strengthening collaboration among stakeholders to ensure the effective deployment of the platform, which is designed to improve passenger health screening, facilitate the collection and management of travel health information, and strengthen disease surveillance before travellers arrive in Sierra Leone.
Addressing participants, Director General Musayeroh Barrie said the meeting was convened to determine the way forward for the full implementation of the portal while resolving operational concerns previously raised by airline operators.
She noted that although several discussions had already taken place regarding the initiative, the latest engagement was specifically designed to focus on implementation realities and develop practical solutions that would enable the system to function efficiently.
Barrie emphasized that the participation of airline representatives was essential to ensuring they fully understood the procedures for accessing passenger health information through the portal. She added that the engagement also provided an opportunity for stakeholders to identify operational bottlenecks and recommend practical measures to improve implementation.
“The SLCAA is working closely with our partners to ensure that every traveller complies with the Health Travel Declaration requirement before arriving at the airport. This is an important measure to protect public health and strengthen our national health security,” she stated.
The Director General urged all passengers travelling to Sierra Leone to complete their mandatory Travel Health Declaration before arrival, stressing that compliance would significantly contribute to protecting the country’s borders against the importation and spread of infectious diseases.
She described the Health Travel Portal as a critical component of Sierra Leone’s broader strategy to strengthen disease surveillance, improve border health security, and promote safe, efficient and seamless travel through the country’s main international gateway.
Participants at the engagement first received a comprehensive presentation outlining the portal’s functionality, operational processes and expected outcomes before engaging in detailed discussions on implementation challenges, stakeholder responsibilities and recommendations for effective deployment.
According to the SLCAA, the Health Travel Portal is a digital platform developed to improve health screening procedures, facilitate the collection and management of essential passenger health information, and strengthen disease surveillance before travellers enter Sierra Leone.
Officials explained that the platform will play a significant role in preventing the spread of infectious diseases, including Ebola, while enhancing the country’s preparedness and response to potential public health emergencies. By enabling authorities to collect accurate health information before passengers arrive, the system will support timely interventions where necessary and improve coordination among relevant government institutions.
Beyond strengthening disease prevention and emergency response mechanisms, the portal is also expected to improve passenger processing, enhance data management and align Sierra Leone’s aviation health systems with international best practices.
Barrie underscored that the successful implementation of the initiative would depend on sustained collaboration among government institutions, airline operators, health authorities and other stakeholders within the aviation sector.
