ASIATODAY.ID, JAKARTA – The Japanese government will implement a new policy for every traveler who enters the country. The reason is, every traveler is required to test for tuberculosis (TB) before going on holiday to Japan in 2024.
Apart from Indonesia, the countries included in the list of pre-arrival TB testing regulations are China, Myanmar, Nepal, the Philippines and Vietnam.
According to Japan Today, Sunday, November 19 2023, the six were chosen because most of its citizens were diagnosed with the infectious disease while in Japan, said the country’s Minister of Health, Keizo Takemi.
The TB test requirement applies to citizens of these six countries as well as foreigners living there.
Immigrants from the six countries who plan to stay more than three months in Japan for study or work purposes are also required to provide test results. They will be asked to provide proof that they are not infected with TB prior to arrival or be refused entry.
“We are making final arrangements to start the system in the next fiscal year,” said Japan’s Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare, Takemi.
For the record, Japan’s fiscal year starts in April. According to sources, this rule is likely to be introduced starting from countries that have completed preparations for the test.
The Japanese government previously considered implementing a mandatory tuberculosis screening system ahead of the opening of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics in 2021.However, these plans were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Although TB can be cured and prevented, a total of 1.3 million people will die from this disease in 2022 and it is the second biggest infectious disease killer after COVID-19, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). (ATN)
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