Health Screening at Points of Entry Pubblico

Abstract

Background

Health screening at Points of Entry (PoE) remains an integral part of stopping disease importation and exportation at borders. A large gap exists in information about health measures at PoE. There is a debate in the public health community about the effectiveness of health measures at PoE because there is limited evidence of a strong effect in decreasing transmission of infectious diseases.

Methods

We conducted a systematic literature review to determine evidence for health measures as prevention tools to highlight current practices and potential improvements at PoE. Sources from PubMed™, Scopus™, and the grey literature contained information from airports and ships.

Results

The systematic literature review showed that there were limitations with health screening measures at PoE. The use of thermal body scanners, self-report questionnaires, and visual checks often misses true cases. Many believe that resources for health measures at PoE could be diverted to other preventative measures that have higher success rates.

Conclusions

Health measures at PoE work toward promoting positive health outcomes, discouraging ill citizens from traveling, improving risk awareness, educating the public, and enhancing communication between public health specialists and travel authorities. Despite concerns about efficacy, there are justifications for health measures at PoE, including health screening, temperature checks, contact tracing, vaccination, and vector control. Limitations with temperature checks, self-report questionnaires, and visual checks are evident but the way forward is clear. We made four recommendations to improve current practices at PoE: coordinate PHS; communicate between actors; consistently enforce strategies; and find equality behind enforcing health measures.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents:  

Chapter 1: Introduction..................................................................................................................1 

1.1 Background and significance.................................................................................1  

1.2 Statement of the problem......................................................................................5

1.3 Statement of purpose............................................................................................7

1.4 Research questions...............................................................................................7

Chapter 2: Methods.......................................................................................................................8

Chapter 3: 

Results........................................................................................................................11

3.1  Attitudes and Behaviors of Travelers ..................................................................11

3.2 Entry/Exit Screening Practices at PoE..................................................................12 

3.3  Opportunities for improvement of Health Screening at PoE................................26 

Chapter 4:

Discussion..................................................................................................................31 

Recommendations.....................................................................................................39

Conclusions................................................................................................................44

Appendix 1..................................................................................................................48 

References .................................................................................................................49 

 

About this Master's Thesis

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School	Rollins School of Public Health
Department	Hubert Department of Global Health
Degree	M.P.H.
Submission	Master's Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Anthropology, Cultural Health Sciences, Public Health
Parola chiave	Keywords: Prevention, International Health Regulations (IHR), Points of Entry (PoE), Health Screening Practices, Traveler Health Screening, Airports, Public Health Emergency Planning, Public Health Threats, Public health event management, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), International Maritime Organization (IMO), SARS-COV-2, Risk Assessment, Event Management
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Scott McNabb, Emory University

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