Forgotten problems in land border crossings

Dear Sir,

Transboundary health is an important consideration in the present global public health. Due to the good transportation system and globalization, transnational travel can be easily done and the health control at the border becomes the big issue in public health at present. ^[1] Waterman et al. noted that “large number of crossings, sparse federal resources, and decreased regulation regarding conveyances crossing these borders make land borders more permeable to a variety of threats.” ^[2] The concern is usually on the control of disease carried by travelers and unwanted objects including narcotics. Strict control can be seen at the airport borders but the questionable issue is on the land border crossing. Based on the authors’ experience on the land border crossing in Indochina (Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam), health control seems not completely done. In fact, the control of disease at land borders, especially for malaria, in this area is an interesting topic. ^[3] In addition, there are some issues for searching for unwanted objects and screening for febrile workers; the strict control is not applied compared to the airport. Additionally, the delay of the border process is another important issue to be discussed. Long waiting time can be a problem to children, the elderly, pregnant women, and female travelers. Sometimes, the poor toilet can be seen at the border post and this can cause a problem to many travelers, especially for female travelers during the waiting time. To have a good health control at the land border crossing is an actual important issue in public health. This can be useful in case of transboundary referring of patients from one country to the other. As suggested by Smith et al. and Whittaker et al., “collaborative community engagement efforts in border areas and regions of high population mobility” should be set. ^[4]

Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None

DOI: 10.4103/1755-6783.177388