Background
The Ministry of Health convened a virtual meeting on 20 May 2026 to review procedures for preventing the importation of Ebola through international travel and to coordinate port-of-entry health actions. The meeting was led by Dr. Yuk Sambath, State Secretary responsible for communicable diseases, and brought together public health institutes, airport authorities, and immigration officials to align operational responses.
The Ministry of Health recommended routine thermal scanning of all arriving passengers at points of entry to identify febrile travellers. The meeting advised that travellers arriving from high-risk countries who present suspected Ebola symptoms should be immediately isolated and referred to the designated national hospital (Techo Sentipheap) for assessment and treatment.
Key Developments
Participants discussed strengthening collaborative surveillance between the national rapid response teams and airport health units. Recommendations from the meeting included continuous temperature screening of incoming passengers, immediate deployment of rapid response teams when a fever of 38°C or higher is detected, and readiness of isolation facilities at the national hospital for suspected cases.
Institutional Role
The Ministry of Health is coordinating technical guidance for port-of-entry screening and case management, while airport authorities are expected to operate routine passenger monitoring and to notify health teams of suspect cases. The national rapid response teams were instructed to cooperate closely with airport medical units and the Pasteur Institute of Cambodia for laboratory and epidemiological support.
Operational Implications
Operational measures emphasized in the meeting include maintaining continuous thermal screening at arrival points, activating rapid response protocols for any passenger meeting the fever threshold, and preparing isolation capacity at the designated national hospital. These measures aim to ensure timely detection, isolation, and referral of suspected Ebola cases arriving by air without introducing new legal mandates.
