Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
IN TANZANIA
Availability & Cost of Health Care
Good, Western-style medical care is available in Dar es Salaam. However, for serious mat-
ters, you'll need to go to Nairobi (Kenya), which is the main destination for medical evac-
uations from Tanzania, or return home. Elsewhere, reasonable-to-good care is available in
Arusha and in some mission stations. If you have a choice, try to find a private or mission-
run clinic, as these are generally better equipped than government ones. If you fall ill in an
unfamiliar area, ask staff at your hotel or resident expatriates where the best nearby medic-
al facilities are, and in an emergency contact your embassy. Larger towns have at least one
clinic where you can get an inexpensive malaria test and, if necessary, treatment.
Pharmacies in Dar es Salaam and major towns are generally well stocked for commonly
used items, and usually don't require prescriptions; always check expiry dates. In villages,
selection is limited. Antimalarials are also relatively easy to obtain in larger towns, although
it is highly recommended to bring antimalarials, as well as drugs for chronic diseases, from
home. Some drugs for sale in Tanzania might be ineffective: they might be counterfeit or
might not have been stored under the right conditions. The most common examples of coun-
terfeit drugs are antimalaria tablets and antibiotics. Also, the availability and efficacy of con-
doms cannot be relied upon; they might not be of the same quality as in Europe or Australia
and might have been incorrectly stored.
There is a high risk of contracting HIV from infected blood transfusions. The
BloodCare
Foundation
(
www.bloodcare.org.uk
) is a good source of safe blood, which can be transpor-
ted to any part of the world within 24 hours.
Infectious Diseases
Following are some of the diseases that are found in Tanzania, though with a few basic pre-
ventive measures, it's unlikely that you'll succumb to any of these.
CHOLERA
Cholera is usually only a problem during natural or artificial disasters, such as war, floods
or earthquakes, although small outbreaks can also occur at other times. Travellers are rarely
affected. It is caused by a bacteria and spread via contaminated drinking water. The main
symptom is profuse watery diarrhoea, which causes debilitation if fluids are not replaced
quickly. An oral cholera vaccine is available in the USA, but it is not particularly effective.
Most cases of cholera could be avoided by close attention to good drinking water and by
avoiding potentially contaminated food. Treatment is by fluid replacement (orally or via a
drip), but sometimes antibiotics are needed. Self-treatment is not advised.
