Travel to africa

If you decide to travel to Africa, you are exposed to tropical infectious diseases and to natural elements of the trip itself such as heat, humidity, the consumption of water and unsafe food and mosquitoes. That is why in these circumstances the traveler must remember the general and specific recommendations of the trip that were given to him at the Center for International Health.

On the African continent, in terms of health risk, three areas must be differentiated: the Mediterranean or Maghreb basin, the meningitic belt and sub-Saharan Africa.

In the Mediterranean or Maghreb basin, the preparation of food and even the act of eating is done with the hands, so their hygiene is essential. When it cannot be assured, the risk of intestinal infection or diarrhea from numerous infectious agents increases. To avoid diarrhea it is advisable to eat freshly cooked, boiled or fried food, drink packaged or boiled products, such as coffee or tea, and brush your teeth with bottled, boiled or disinfected water with purification tablets. Therefore, avoid street or raw foods, such as salads, seafood or fruit peeled by third parties, as well as ice cubes, dairy products, beverages that are not boiled or packaged or sealed, or natural fruit juices that have not been squeezed in their presence. For its part, the International Health Center will assess vaccination against hepatitis A and typhoid fever.

In case of diarrhea, remember that the most important thing is to maintain good hydration by drinking plenty of fluids (2 to 3 liters a day), an astringent diet and using oral rehydration preparations or antisecretory antidiarrheals if necessary. If the diarrhea is more severe with fever (≥38ºC), blood, mucus or pus in the stool, you should see a doctor as soon as possible.

The area of ​​the meningitic belt is known as that geographical area delimited in width, from west to east of the African continent between Senegal and Ethiopia, and from Sierra Leone to Kenya. In this area, apart from the previously described intestinal diseases, the risk of meningitis due to different strains of meningococcus is high, especially during the month of November to June or the dry season. For this reason, if a traveler visits any of these areas and in tha