Africa

africa klm health services

On the following pages you will find information about the four large sub-regions in Africa that we differentiate between when it comes to giving health advice. Whether you are looking for advice on one specific country in one of these sub-regions, or for a combination of countries that you’ll be visiting on your journey, you are always welcome to drop by for an intake interview.

West Africa

The health risks on this page pertain to the following countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo .

Throughout the whole region there is a substantial risk of running up a food poisoning infection, including hepatitis A. For longer stays there is also a real risk of contracting typhoid fever.

Malaria is extermely widespread in West Africa, where there is also a substantial risk of contracting yellow fever. You can catch dengue in some regions, which sometimes results in larger epidemics.

There is a great deal of tuberculosis among the local population.

Sexually transmitted diseases, including hepatitis B and HIV infections are commonplace among the local population.

Many animals, including pets, are infected with rabies in West Africa.

On a large scale, fresh surface water (lakes and rivers) is infected with schistosomiasis (bilharzia) and leptospirosis. You can contract these diseases through contact with the infected water (swimming, diving, rafting, etc.).

If you’d prefer tailored advice make an appointment at a Travel Clinic from KLM Health Services.

Central Africa

The health risks on this page pertain to the following Central African countries: Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Rwanda, Chad and Zambia.

Throughout the whole region there is a substantial risk of running up a food poisoning infection, including hepatitis A. For longer stays there is also a real risk of contracting typhoid fever.

Malaria is extremely widespread and there is also a substantial risk of contracting yellow fever. The risk of dengue varies, which sometimes results in larger epidemics.

There is a great deal of tuberculosis among the local population. During the dry season meningitis epidemics can break out.

Sexually transmitted diseases are very commonplace among the local population and this is certainly the case with hepatitis B and HIV infections.

Many animals, including pets, are infected with rabies.

On a large scale, fresh surface water (lakes and rivers) is infected with schistosomiasis (bilharzia) and leptospirosis. You can contract these diseases through contact with the infected water (swimming, diving, rafting, etc.).

If you’d prefer tailored advice make an appointment at a Travel Clinic from KLM Health Services.

North Africa

The health risks on this page pertain to the following North African countries: Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Sudan and Tunisia.

Throughout the whole region there is a substantial risk of running up a food poisoning infection, including hepatitis A and amoebic dysentery. For longer stays there is also a real risk of contracting typhoid fever.

You can only catch malaria in a very limited number of regions in North Africa: only in a few parts of southern Algeria. Dengue is also quite rare, but local epidemics can break out from time to time.

There is a great deal of tuberculosis among the population of North Africa. For longer stays or in cases of specific exposure we recommend that you seek advice about prevention before your departure.

Sexually transmitted diseases are very commonplace among the local population, but this is not (yet) the case with hepatitis B and HIV infections.

Throughout North Africa many animals, including pets, are infected with rabies. For longer stays, or in cases of specific exposure, vaccination can be a sensible option.

In some countries fresh surface water (lakes and rivers) can be infected with schistosomiasis (bilharzia) and leptospirosis. You can contract these diseases through contact with the infected water (swimming, diving, rafting, etc.).

If you’d prefer tailored advice make an appointment at a Travel Clinic from KLM Health Services.

Southern Africa

The health risks on this page pertain to the following southern African countries: Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

The likelihood of running up a food poisoning infection and hepatitis A depends to a large extent on the standards of hygiene and sanitation. Given favourable conditions, particularly in South Africa, there is not really any heightened risk. However, in poor conditions large epidemics can sometimes break out. For longer stays there is also a real risk of contracting typhoid fever.

Malaria is endemic all over southern Africa, except South Africa, which is largely malaria-free. There is also no yellow fever in the region although some countries insist on you having a yellow fever vaccination if you have recently visited a yellow fever area. There is the occasional case of dengue, but usually not on a large scale.

There is a great deal of tuberculosis among the population.

Sexually transmitted diseases are very commonplace among the local population and this is certainly the case with hepatitis B and HIV infections. Southern Africa has been particularly hard hit by the HIV epidemic.

Many animals, including pets, are infected with rabies.

In some places fresh surface water (lakes and rivers) can be infected with schistosomiasis (bilharzia) and leptospirosis. You can contract these diseases through contact with the infected water (swimming, diving, rafting, etc.).

If you’d prefer tailored advice make an appointment at a Travel Clinic from KLM Health Services.