Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
THE South African Government has officially announced that travellers from Zambia will, with immediate effect, no longer be required to produce proof of the Yellow Fever vaccination when entering that country following the World Health Organisation’s listing of Zambia among low – risk countries.
Zambia’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Muyeba Chikonde, who welcomed the announcement, said while information has been in the public domain following the earlier announcement by the World Health Organisation reclassifying Zambia as a low-risk Yellow Fever country, what is important now is that the South African Government, through its Ministry of Health, has issued this statement and even gone further to inform all ports of entry about this development.
Mr. Chikonde said Zambia was happy that the issue has finally come to a conclusion, pointing out that the previous arrangement had negatively affected the tourism sector as well as contributed to increasing the cost of doing business for those entering South Africa.
The statement which was circulated to the diplomatic corps through the South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation announced the categorising of Zambia as a low-risk country following the 136th session of the WHO Executive Board meeting held recently at which a review of countries with the risk of Yellow Fever transmission and those requiring vaccination was conducted.
In line with the International Health Regulations (2005) South Africa requires a valid Yellow Fever certificate from all citizens and non-citizens over one-year of age travelling from a Yellow Fever-risk country or having been in transit exceeding 12 hours, through the airport of a country with the risk of Yellow Fever transmission.
The regulations require countries at risk of Yellow Fever to obtain vaccination certificates from individuals travelling from areas determined by the WHO to be at risk of Yellow Fever transmission.
In accordance with this regulation, among other measures, South Africa refuses entry for all travellers from Yellow Fever risk countries who are unable to produce valid Yellow Fever vaccination certificate at the point of entry or places travellers under quarantine surveillance until their certificate becomes valid, or for a period of not more than six days.