The International Health Regulations (2005) are a legally binding instrument of International law that aim to:
a) assist countries to work together to save lives and livelihoods endangered by the international spread of diseases & other health risks
b) avoid unnecessary interference with international trade and travel.
The purpose and scope of IHR 2005 are to prevent, control and protect against the international spread of disease, and provide a public health response which will avoid unnecessary interference with international
traffic and trade.
IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS
a) ‘Arrival’, in the case of a sea-going vessel means arrival or anchoring in the defined area of a port.
b) ‘Baggage’ means the personal effects of a traveler.
c) “Conveyance” means an aircraft, ship, train, road vehicle or other means of transport on an international voyage.
d) ‘Crew’ means persons on board a conveyance who are not passengers.
e) ‘Epidemic’ means an extension of a disease subject to regulations, by a multiplication of cases in an area.
f) ‘Free Pratique’ means permission for a ship to enter a port, embark or disembark, discharge or load cargo or stores; permission for an aircraft, after landing, to embark or disembark, discharge or load cargo or stores;
and permission for a ground vehicle, upon arrival, to embark or disembark, discharge or load cargo or stores.
g) “Deratting” means the procedure whereby health measures are taken to control or kill rodent vectors of human disease, present in baggage, cargo, containers, conveyances, facilities, goods, etc. at the point of entry.
h) “Quarantine” means the restriction of activities and/or separation of suspect persons from others who are not ill or separation of suspect baggage, containers, conveyances or goods in such a manner as to prevent
the possible spread of infection or contamination.
i) ‘In quarantine’ means that state or condition during which measures are applied by a health authority to a ship, aircraft, train, road vehicle or other means of transportation or container, to prevent the spread of disease, reservoirs of disease or vectors of disease.
j) ‘Container’ means an article of transport equipment:
- Of a permanent character and accordingly strong enough to be suitable for repeated use.
- Specially designed to facilitate the carriage of goods by one or more modes of transport, without intermediate re-loading.
- Fitted with devices permitting its ready handling, particularly its transfer from one mode of transport to another; and
- Specially designed as to be easy to fill and empty.
k) ‘International Voyage’ means
- In the case of a conveyance, a voyage between points of entry in the territories of more than one State, or a voyage between points of entry in the territory or territories of the same State if the conveyance has contacts with the territory of any other State on its voyage.
- In the case of a traveler, a voyage involving entry into the territory of a State other than the territory of a State in which the traveler commences his voyage.
FREE PRATIQUE:
Health clearance is called free pratique. It literally means permission to disembark and commence cargo operations.
Health clearance is required if there has been on board during the previous 28 days, any of the occurrences which the Master is required to report. If no such occurrences are there then the Port Health Officer will generally give free pratique.
A certificate of vaccination against yellow fever is the only other certificate now required under these regulations for international travel, especially for African countries. Every seafarer must have this International vaccination certificate for yellow fever.
Before granting free pratique, Port health officers usually check the Maritime declaration of health, valid SSCEC / SSCC and yellow fever vaccination report of all persons onboard.
Radio Free Pratique is the granting of free pratique to a ship or aircraft by Radio or other communication means, on the basis of information received from it prior to its arrival, when the State Party is of the opinion that the arrival of the ship or aircraft will not result in the introduction or spread of disease. All State parties are encouraged to make provisions for the granting of free pratique by radio or other communication means so as to avoid unnecessary details to the vessel.
SHIP SANITATION / DERATTING CERTIFICATE:
The Deratting Certificate/Deratting Exemption Certificate was issued under older regulations. Under IHR 2005, this certificate is no more valid and is replaced by the new Ship Sanitation Control Exemption Certificate (SSCEC) /Ship Sanitation Control Certificate. (SSCC)
Every ship engaged on International voyages must carry a valid Ship Sanitation Control Exemption Certificate /Ship Sanitation Control Certificate.
These certificates are issued by the Port health authority and are valid for a period of 6 months. If the inspection or control measures were not possible to be accomplished at a port, the validity may be extended by one month.
When inspected by the competent authority, if no evidence of a public health risk is found on board, then the competent authority issues a SSCEC. But if evidence of a public health risk is found on board, the competent
authority shall complete necessary control measures and then issue a SSCC.
If the conditions in which control measures were taken were not ideal to give satisfactory results, this should be noted on the existing SSCC & control measures must be completed at another port before a new SSCC is issued.
The SSCC issued includes a note of the evidences found & measures taken.
The port State may proceed to take action as per the provisions of the IHR, if the ship fails to produce a valid SSCC / SSCEC or if the ship shows evidence of a public health risk.
Whenever control measures are to be carried out, it is ideal for the ships to be in ballast condition with all holds empty. i.e. prior loading at load port.
The SSCEC is issued only when all holds are empty and it is possible to carry out a thorough inspection.
WHO advises the certificates to be completed in English and/or in French, or a translation in English/French if completed in any other language.
DECLARATION OF HEALTH
The Master of a ship must ascertain the state of health onboard before arrival at the first port of call in a State.
The master must deliver a Maritime Declaration of health to the competent authority upon arrival or in advance before arrival if the State requires so.
The declaration should be countersigned by the ship’s surgeon if carried.
Such a declaration is a must always. However, it is the discretion of the State to decide which vessels must submit the Maritime declaration of health.
A state may decide to dispense with submission of the declaration by all ships that arrive at its Ports.
A state may require only those ships arriving from affected areas or those ships which might carry infection or contamination to submit the declaration.
The master of the ship or the ship’s surgeon carries the obligation to provide relevant information to the competent authority about the health condition onboard the ship during an international voyage.
The format of the declaration should be as per the model provided in the Annex of IHR. The format contains the following declarations –
- Any deaths onboard during the voyage other than by an accident
- Any infectious disease suspected on board
- Total number of ill persons on board
- Was a medical practitioner consultede) Any condition on board which may lead to infection or spread of disease
- Any sanitary measure been applied on board
- Any stowaways been found on board
- Any sick animal or pet on board
- Valid SSCEC/SSCC carried on board (Date & place of issue & expiry)
- If re-inspection required
- Last analysis of drinking water (Date and place)
- Medical certificate (date and place of issue)
- Port of call list (present voyage or last 30 days)
- If fumigated cargo / containers transported
- Persons who joined ship since international voyage began or within past 30 days