Improving Public Health in High Traffic Travel Areas
- Education
- International Health Regulations
- Training
- Contacting Individuals
- Documentation
When it comes to public health, some of the areas where attention needs to be focused are at ports, airports, and ground crossings. Vigilance is important, as these are avenues where multitudes of people from different places of origin merge. If someone is carrying a disease, showing up at a port or airport or ground crossing can lead to a rapid transmission of that disease to anyone else in the area.
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1. Education
Educating the public about the need for sanitation and cleanliness and preventative care can lead to an increased awareness among those traveling through the cross-sections of the area. Due to the nature of travel, any information being disseminated needs to be in a variety of different languages. Ideally, the material being provided should be in a multitude of languages, allowing for the widest possible dissemination.
2. International Health Regulations
Another way to improve public health at ports, airports, and ground crossings is to put the International Health Regulations into effect at those locations. The IHR is a 196-country agreement put into place that’s designed to provide the best possible method of lessening the chances of any kind of epidemic from taking hold. Included in the material provided by the IHR are specific measures that should be in place, limiting the spread of any health risks that might surface.
3. Training
Personnel working in airports, ground crossing, and ports should undergo mandatory training. The training should consist of exercises that highlight how various diseases can be transmitted and showcasing the methods needed to achieve maximum containment of any diseases which might show up. One of the organizations dedicated to providing support to those facilities is the World Health Organization, which also provides in-depth training designed to ensure maximum safety for all travelers.
4. Contacting Individuals
If an incident involving a public health hazard takes place, having a method in place to contact individuals who may have been exposed to that hazard needs to be mandatory. The moment it appears there might be some sort of exposure risk, all individuals who might have come in contact with that risk need to be notified. The sooner the issue is addressed and taken care of, the sooner the potential risk of a widespread epidemic can be eliminated.
5. Documentation
Individuals traveling from areas where there is a high risk of a communicable disease should undergo pre-travel examinations. If they are determined to be of no risk to others, documentation should be provided, showing that they are clear for travel.
Since we now live in a world where individuals from just about every conceivable country can meet in central locations and embark upon their journeys, it is more important than ever to ensure everyone who might be bound for an airport, port, or ground crossing can feel safe and secure. Having public health measures in place to create that environment is both sensible and necessary.
