International Communicable Disease Surveillance and Prevention: A Case Study of Yellow Fever at Chiang Mai International Airport, 2023-2025

Abstract

The objective of this study was to identify the current status of the international communicable disease surveillance situation in case of yellow fever. The primary data and secondary data were gathered from the screening for the travelers traveling from yellow fever infectious regions affected by yellow fever during 2023-2025 via E-Screening system and a questionnaire about the difficulties of the six officers at Chiang Mai International Airport Health Quarantine. Primary data were used in content analysis to categorize problems, obstacles, and suggestions and secondary data were analyzed by percentage, mean, maximum and minimum. Research results showed that during 2023-2025 about 6,150 travelers traveled from yellow fever endemic areas. Most of them traveled during January at 13.43% and the least in July at 5.88%. The number of travelers with accurate and complete yellow fever vaccination certificates was 67.89%. In 2023-2025, Brazil were the largest number at 45.98% who traveled to Thailand and entered through Chiang Mai International Airport, followed by Argentina and Colombia at 20.63% and 16.34%, respectively, whereas the lowest numbers were from Sierra Leone, Togo, Benin, Mali and Guinea, each representing 0.02%. Problems and obstacles for officials carrying out screening work are: 1) Screening processes and database systems 2) Policies and monitoring measures 3) Communication and 4) Human resources and workload. The study suggested that 1) Develop and modernize the efficiency, screening system and traveler database, and integrate the databases of relevant institutions. 2) Strengthen the coordination channels of relevant institutions, screen and track travel information to prevent international infectious diseases. 3) Increase human resources to work during the high number of travelers’ period and increase human resources can provide language assistance.