MDH Maritime Declaration of Health

The MDH notification provides information on the health status of a vessel arriving at a Finnish port as part of the vessel's Notice of Arrival (NOA). The declaration is particularly relevant in situations where a serious public health threat or another communicable disease-related risk has been identified on board. A serious public health threat may be associated with, for example, an internationally significant epidemic, severe respiratory or gastrointestinal infections, or deaths related to communicable diseases.

The MDH notification corresponds to the Maritime Declaration of Health required under the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005).

If an MDH notification is submitted, all port calls made by the vessel during the last 30 days or during the current voyage, whichever period is shorter, must be reported in the Port Calls section of the NOA notification.

Refer to the NOA instructionsOpens in a new tab and the Port Calls section.

If "Yes" is selected for any of the following fields, an MDD notification (Additional Information for the Maritime Declaration of Health) must also be submitted:

Vessel has visited an epidemic area (DE-032-01)
There are currently sick persons on board (DE-032-07)
Infection on board (DE-032-09)

Refer to the MDD instructions.Opens in a new tab

Data to be completed

Remark DE-003-01

Complete this field if you wish to provide additional information related to the notification that cannot be reported elsewhere. For example, you may provide further details concerning the vessel's health status, sanitation conditions, or the processing of the notification.

If there is no additional information to report, leave the field blank. Do not repeat information already provided in other fields.

Stowaways found indicator DE-034-04

Select Yes if stowaways have been detected on board.

If you select Yes, also complete the Stowaway section.

Valid Ship Sanitation Control Exemption Certificate or Ship Sanitation Control Certificate DE-033-01

Select Yes if the vessel has a valid Ship Sanitation Control Exemption Certificate or Ship Sanitation Control Certificate.

If you select Yes, also complete:

Re-inspection required DE-033-04
Date sanitation exemption certificate was issued DE-033-03
Port where sanitation exemption certificate was issued DE-033-02

Re-inspection required DE-033-04

Select Yes if a new sanitation inspection is required for the vessel.

Date sanitation exemption certificate was issued DE-033-03

Enter the date on which the Ship Sanitation Control Exemption Certificate or Ship Sanitation Control Certificate was issued.

Port where sanitation exemption certificate was issued DE-033-02

Search for and select the port where the Ship Sanitation Control Exemption Certificate or Ship Sanitation Control Certificate was issued.

Vessel has visited an epidemic area DE-032-01

Select Yes if the vessel has visited an epidemic area designated by the World Health Organization (WHO).

An epidemic area refers to an area designated by WHO where an internationally significant communicable disease outbreak is occurring.

If you select Yes, also complete:

Date vessel visited the epidemic area DE-032-03
Port call in the epidemic area DE-032-02

In addition, an MDD notification must be submitted.

Refer to the MDD instructions.Opens in a new tab

Date vessel visited the epidemic area DE-032-03

Enter the date on which the vessel visited the epidemic area designated by WHO.

Complete this field if Vessel has visited an epidemic area DE-032-01 is set to Yes.

Port call in the epidemic area DE-032-02

Search for and select the port visited by the vessel within the epidemic area designated by WHO.

Complete this field if Vessel has visited an epidemic area DE-032-01 is set to Yes.

Stowaway

Provide information on any stowaways detected on board. If there is more than one stowaway, add each stowaway as a separate entry.

Port where stowaway embarked DE-042-04

Search for and select the port where the stowaway boarded the vessel.

Complete this field if Stowaways found indicator DE-034-04 is set to Yes.

Death of a person DE-032-04

Select Yes if a death has occurred on board during the voyage and was not caused by an accident.

If you select Yes, also complete Number of deaths DE-032-17.

Number of deaths DE-032-17

Enter the number of persons who died on board during the voyage from causes other than accidents.

Case of disease on board DE-032-05

Select Yes if cases of illness suspected to be communicable have occurred on board or during the international voyage.

If a physician is not available, the master should consider the following symptoms as grounds for suspecting a communicable disease:

Persistent fever
Weakness
Reduced level of consciousness
Swollen lymph nodes
Jaundice
Cough or shortness of breath
Unusual bleeding
Paralysis
Acute rash or skin symptoms
Severe vomiting not caused by seasickness
Severe diarrhoea
Recurrent seizures

More sick persons than expected DE-032-06

Select Yes if the number of ill persons during the voyage has been higher than normal or expected.

For example, when several persons develop similar symptoms during the voyage.

If you select Yes, also complete Number of sick persons DE-032-12.

Number of sick persons DE-032-12

Enter the number of sick persons.

There are currently sick persons on board DE-032-07

Select Yes if there are sick persons on board at the time the notification is submitted.

If you select Yes, an MDD notification must also be submitted.

Refer to the MDD instructions.Opens in a new tab

Medical assessment provided DE-032-08

Select Yes if a physician or communicable disease authority has assessed the health situation on board.

Infection on board DE-032-09

Select Yes if you are aware of diseases present on board that may result in infection or disease transmission.

If you select Yes, an MDD notification must also be submitted.

Refer to the MDD instructions.Opens in a new tab

Sanitation measure carried out on board DE-032-10

Select Yes if sanitation measures have been carried out on board, such as quarantine, isolation, disinfection, or decontamination.

If you select Yes, also complete the Sanitation Measures on Board section.

Sanitation measure on board

Provide details of sanitation measures that have been carried out. Each measure should be reported as a separate table row.

Complete this section if Sanitation measure carried out on board DE-032-10 is set to Yes.

Type of sanitation measure DE-032-18

Select the sanitation measure that was carried out.

Description of the sanitation measure DE-032-13

Provide a description of the sanitation measure carried out.

For example, practical actions related to quarantine, isolation, disinfection, decontamination, or other sanitation measures.

Location of sanitation measure DE-032-14

Enter the location where the sanitation measure was carried out.

Date of sanitation measure DE-032-15

Enter the date on which the sanitation measure was carried out.

Sick animal on board DE-032-11

Select Yes if there is a sick animal or pet on board that has a confirmed or suspected disease transmissible to humans.