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Zimbabwe- Health advisoryHealth - Nearly all safari lodges will carry a comprehensive medical aid kit. In the unlikely event of serious accidents while on safari you're likely to be treated by MARS (Medical Air Rescue Service), a very professional and experienced company.Most of your travel service providers will subscribe to MARS and the chances are your own travel insurance taken out in your resident country will be linked with MARS to cover any treatment required Medical services provided by hospitals and pharmacies in Zimbabwe are not good. Other Health Tips
It is unlikely you will contract any serious disease while in Southern Africa. No compulsory vaccinations are required for Zimbabwe but recommended ones are diphtheria and tetanus, hepatitis, polio and meningitis, and typhoid. Travellers have advised the use of bottled water to avoid any possible stomach complaints. Sadly Zimbabwe is one of the worst affected countries in Africa for AIDS and HIV. You are strongly advised to avoid sexual contact, exposure to blood or dirty syringe needles. Should you require treatment request any syringe be unwrapped in front of you, but again bear in mind that with MARS (see above) and private clinics or hospitals this can almost be guaranteed. All blood donations are screened but obviously there is no absolute guarantee that blood may not be infected. Be sensible about exposure to the sun and the heat in general as this may cause heat stroke or exhaustion – eat salt on your food, drink liquids regularly and wear protective sun creams and clothing. If you suffer from allergies, bring your own prescriptive medicine. Other useful medical aid kit items to bring along are: antihistamine (insect bites, itches, allergies), Imodium or equivalent (for diarrhoea) and antiseptic cream (for minor injuries). For more comprehensive advice on travel health, see: MalariaGeneral Advice1. Avoid being bitten by mosquitoes The old adage rings true “Prevention is better than cure” – therefore the best way to avoid malaria is to avoid being bitten in the first place. Mosquitoes and most other insects are generally active for a few hours around sunset. They can and often do continue to be bothersome throughout the night and are also around in the early morning. We suggest that you change into longs just before sunset and spray yourself with the provided repellent. Turn out lights when not in use. Use insect repellent on exposed skin. Sleep under a bednet or in a netted tent or hut or in a house or caravan with screens. Close windows and doors at night. Spray insecticide aerosol and/or burn mosquito coil at night. Anopheles mosquitoes prefer to feed near ground level so spray your legs and feet as well. Malaria mosquitoes (Anopheles) are smaller, fly more quietly and have a distintive posture of head down, body at an angle and hind legs raised when feeding or at rest. This is in contrast with the horizontal position of most other mosquito species. 2.Take prophylaxis in malaria risk areas. Get good advice before you plan your holiday. Take the pills same day each week when weekly, or at the same time of the day if daily. Continue prophylaxis for 4 weeks after your return. Complete the course. (a) Mefloquine (b) Doxycycline (c) Proguanil/Chloroquine combination Start a day before entering the malaria area, and continue for four weeks after you leave the area. It is generally well tolerated and is available without prescription. 3. If you are pregnant or have small children, avoid a holiday in a high-risk malaria area / season. Cancel / postpone your holiday if necessary. 4. If you, or one of your party, show ‘flu like symptoms’ and signs like body pain, headache and fever develop 7 to 20 days or longer after visiting an endemic area, have a simple blood test done. This check will show if there are any parasites in your blood, and just remember, early treatment rarely leads to complications. 5. The further away you are from towns and crowded areas the less chance you have of contacting malaria as it is relayed from person to person. Useful LinksPrescription
Drugs for Malaria AIDS Your biggest chance of contracting HIV/AIDS is through unprotected
sex. Bilharzia Your chance of getting Bilharzia is small if you follow some simple
rules. The water in towns, at hotels and in swimming pools, has been treated
and is then safe. There are pills available for protection against Bilharzia. See a Doctor, or Pharmasist Sunstroke and Sunburn It is recommended that you wear a broad-rimmed hat, wear sunglasses,
and use A good quality sun-screen cream or lotion. SnakesAre very common, but hardly ever seen. Puff adders being the most dangerous.They lie in paths and do not move, especially in autumn. Not all snakes are dangerous. So, if you do get bitten by a snake, don’t panic. If you can, kill the snake for identification purposes, but if that
is not possible then try and remember what the snake looked like. Tick-Bite Fever March-April is the worst time as the grass is long and wet. Scorpions and Spiders You could get a rather painful bite, but its almost never fatal. RabiesBe wary of strange animals. even stray dogs and cats. If you are bitten, by any animal, it is wise to go straight to a clinic. Rabies may be treated effectively with a course of injections if caught in time Yellow Fever Vaccination certificates are necessary if you have come from any infected
area as specified by the World Health Organisation Medical insurance You are well advised to obtain medical insurance before arrival. Please
bring any personal medicines that you may require with you, as they
may be hard to find.
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