As Antigua and Barbuda moves to strengthen disease monitoring protocols at all international ports of entry, national health authorities are finalizing a full public briefing on two newly detected imported malaria cases. Details of the emerging public health response were shared this Thursday by Maurice Merchant, Director General of Communications, during a press briefing following a weekly Cabinet meeting, where he laid out the suite of enhanced public health interventions rolled out by the country’s Ministry of Health.
Merchant confirmed that an official public update on the two imported infections will be released either before this week concludes or in the opening days of next week. “The ministry will share full details of the two malaria cases that were brought into Antigua by travelers,” Merchant stated, noting that the two individuals had only recently arrived in the twin-island nation.
The announcement of the cases comes as the Antigua and Barbuda government scales up cross-border monitoring efforts amid a backdrop of growing global health alerts, with ongoing outbreaks of Ebola, hantavirus and malaria recorded across multiple regions worldwide. To support these stepped-up safety measures, the Ministry of Health has already commenced upgrades to the operations of its national Port Health Unit, which is responsible for screening all incoming travelers at the country’s air and seaports.
Key new protocols being implemented across all ports of entry include expanded routine health screenings, mandatory non-contact temperature checks for all arrivals, and enhanced verification and tracking of travelers’ movement histories over the 21-day period prior to their arrival in Antigua and Barbuda. As an additional precautionary step to prepare for any potential spread of the disease, the country’s specialized Infectious Disease Centre is also being prepped and stood by. The facility will be available to support isolation and active monitoring of any individuals deemed to be a public health risk should the need arise.