Trifter

“Africa – would love to go but I must think of my health!”

It is a familiar phrase and one not to be ignored, but how much is hype and how much lack of information? Our health is, of course, more important than any holiday but what are the real risks and how can we deal with them.

If you are ill, have a very weak constitution, or liable to get ill easily, then the risks are greater and, considering that most African travel is in remote areas with extreme difficulties to get to sometimes primitive hospitals, you may wish to holiday elsewhere.

If your health and constitution is normal, or if you decide to go anyway, then this guide will help you with the correct preparations and precautions.

All countries will have a website, local embassy or consulate from which you can ascertain the legal inoculation requirements. You must obtain an official W.H.O booklet in which your jabs are recorded for the officials to check on your entry into their country. However, the normal legal requirements of a country are not necessarily enough to cover your safety; you should acquire advice from your doctor or, preferably, a local tropical doctor or institute. Search the web with your city name and “tropical institute” (or doctor) or lookup yellow pages.

A tropical doctor will ask not only where you are going but when, this does have an affect on certain risks such as malaria. Doctors should also ask you what you intend to do as a holiday on the beach entails other risks as in the jungle or living in a tribal village with local people. Given the right information doctors will inform of all possible sicknesses and preventions and advise you on those that are real dangers and those that can, if you wish, be ignored due to low probability. Have this chat with the doctor at least three months before your journey so you have plenty of time to decide and schedule the shots.

A later article in this series will cover the dangers of wildlife but at this point it is important to understand that the most dangerous animal in Africa is the malaria mosquito, although some areas in Africa have a low to zero risk. If you are travelling to a malaria zone then a tropical doctor will know the recommended prophylactics and there should be a choice – take heed of the medical advice. However the best malaria prevention is in your hands: make sure that your accommodation includes malaria nets or take your own. Cheaper accommodation may have damaged nets so a spare is often handy. Your doctor will also recommend an anti mosquito preparation for your skin and spray for you clothes. Mosquitoes are most active from early evening through to dawn so make sure you have the skin preparation ready and available whilst travelling during the day. Clothes sprays should be administered outdoors shortly before your journey with a few hours to dry them out before packing – they leave no stains.

One other preparation remains, it requires your judgement and the discussion with the doctor – which medicines and first aids should you take. One medicine bag per group should be enough but maybe it should be divided in the luggage to ensure arrival and to share the load.

HIV is, of course, very much present in Africa but, except in the case of an accident in which you are involved, should be of minimum risk providing sex and drugs with Africans is not part of your agenda. This rule also takes care of hepatitis B. Your medical bag requires a pair of protective gloves for each member in your party and you may wish to take a small stock of syringes to present to a doctor in Africa if you need one.

Finally, having made all appropriate preparations there is a little something you may have to do for your head! Remember to follow the advice but do it mechanically, without causing it to worry you. Just like your road sense at home is an automatic self preservation system the health preparations for Africa would also be automatic if you were frequently there – it gets easier each time. Then just fill your head with the wonderful and positive events you will experience when you are there!

Before this series on African Travel changes its slant towards where and what to do in Africa the next issue will concentrate on the dangers of African wildlife and how to deal with them.