India and the African Union on Thursday announced the postponement of the Fourth India–Africa Forum Summit (IAFS IV), which was scheduled to take place in New Delhi from May 28 to 31, 2026.
The two sides said the summit is being postponed because of the evolving health situation in parts of Africa. The summit was to be held after a gap of 11 years. The previous three instalments were held in 2008, 2011 and 2015.
India also issued a health advisory for passengers arriving from or transiting through Ebola-affected countries, asking those with symptoms or exposure history to immediately report to airport health authorities before immigration clearance.
The advisory, issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), specifically mentioned travellers coming from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and South Sudan, all of which have been categorised as “high-risk countries” by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said India and Africa will continue their cooperation in strengthening public health preparedness and response capacities across the African continent, including through support to Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and relevant national institutions. India expressed its readiness to contribute to Africa CDC-led efforts aimed at addressing the evolving health situation, in line with the shared commitment to an Africa-led response, the MEA said.
Recognising the importance of ensuring the full participation and engagement of African leaders and stakeholders, and mindful of the emerging public health situation on the continent, consultations were held between the Indian government, the chairperson of the African Union, and the African Union Commission regarding the holding of the summit and associated activities.
Following these consultations, the two sides agreed that it would be advisable to convene the Fourth India–Africa Forum Summit at a later date, the MEA said. New dates for the summit and its associated meetings will be finalised through mutual consultations and communicated in due course.
As for the advisory displayed at the Delhi airport by the Airport Health Organisation (APHO), it advises passengers to watch out for symptoms such as fever, weakness, headache, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, sore throat and unexplained bleeding. It also asks travellers who had direct contact with blood or body fluids of a suspected or confirmed Ebola patient to immediately report to the airport health officer or the health desk. According to the APHO, any traveller developing symptoms within 21 days of arrival should seek immediate medical care and inform authorities about their travel history.
On Wednesday, Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava chaired a high-level review meeting with health secretaries of all states and Union territories to assess preparedness and response measures for Ebola. Union health ministry officials clarified that no case of Ebola has been detected in India so far. During the meeting, states and Union territories were advised to ensure readiness at all levels.
(With PTI inputs)
