Many travelers have successfully completed their Ethiopian vacation without health problems. Take precautions such as vaccination, eating safe food, drinking bottled water, avoiding direct sunlight, preventing insect bites and animal bites, and maintaining respiratory hygiene.

Below, we provide you with the best information on health issues to consider when traveling to Ethiopia. Except for sunburn or traveler’s diarrhea, the chances of getting serious illnesses are very small. It’s a good idea to talk to your doctor a few weeks before your trip to Ethiopia, as you can almost guarantee a healthy trip.

Planning for travel

Planning for travel

There are many things you can do to prepare for healthy traveling; here are some tips

• There are many things you can do to prepare for a healthy trip. Here are some tips.
• Get health and dental checkups and check your health before traveling.
• Pack more medical kits and medicines than you need.
• Carry your prescription with you in case you need it.
• In case of unexpected emergency medical and hospital care, purchase travel insurance, including evacuation to the nearest appropriate medical institution or hospital.
• Keep more contact lens solutions, spare glasses, spare contact lenses, and any other eye care products you need.
• Get basic first aid and medical kits together.
• Take enough medicine for your planned trip and take more just in case.
• Carry the medicine in its original (labeled) container.
• Prepare the vaccinations you need and plan your vaccination update.

First Aid Kits

• Carry the following medical and first-aid kit with you, to help yourself in case of minor illness or injury.
• 1% hydrocortisone cream
• Antibacterial or antifungal ointments
• Digital thermometer
• Oral rehydration salts
• Antiseptic wound cleaner
• Aloe gel for sunburns
• Insect bite anti-itch gel or cream
• Bandages
• Disposable gloves
• Cotton swabs (Q-Tips)
• Tweezers
• Eye drops

Malaria and Avoiding Mosquitoes

Malaria is a parasitic disease, transmitted by the bite of an infected female Anopheles Mosquito. Its bites cause great annoyance, lack of sleep, and Malaria.  It is believed there is a risk of Malaria in areas of Ethiopia below 2,000 meters above sea level.  Addis Ababa sits at 2,400meters which means there is no Malaria. Infection rates of Malaria are higher after the main rainy season, from September to December, and from March to May, during and after the small rain. But the risk exists year-round and it is very important to take preventive measures, even if you will be in the country for just a short time.

Talk to your doctor about how to prevent malaria while traveling. You may need to take prescription medicine before, during, and after your trip to prevent malaria. Although there are several different Anti Malaria drugs that can be used to prevent malaria. Avoidance of mosquito bites should be considered as the best preventive measures against malaria. 

How to Avoid mosquito bites.

To avoid mosquito bites, the CDC recommends the following:

Apply insect repellent to exposed skin. The recommended repellent contains 20-35% N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET).

Wear long-sleeved clothing and long pants if you are outdoors at night.

Use a mosquito net over the bed if your bedroom is not air-conditioned or screened. For additional protection, treat the mosquito net with the insecticide permethrin.

Spray an insecticide or repellent on clothing, as mosquitoes may bite through thin clothing.

Spray pyrethrin or a similar insecticide in your bedroom before going to bed.

Our Extra Advice

Bite avoidance measures to prevent malaria should start before dusk and continue until after dawn. Keep covered up and wear along-sleeved top and long trousers. Apply Insect repellent; Sprays with DEET are most effective. Use a mosquito net, Use a smoke coil or a plug-in mosquito. Shower more frequently to ward off mosquitoes attracted by body sweat and odor.

2   Travelers’ Diarrhoea  

Travelers’ diarrhea is the most common travel-related illness, The cause of traveler’s diarrhea is through contaminated food and drinking water.

The most common signs and symptoms of traveler’s diarrhea are:

-Abrupt onset of diarrhea.,

 -An urgent need to defecate

-Abdominal cramps,

-Nausea,

-Vomiting,

-fever,

 -bloating

Most travelers recover within four days with little or no treatment. About 10% of people may have symptoms for a week.

Prevention of Travellers Diarrhea

This depends mainly upon practicing good hand hygiene and effective food and water precautions.

Follow Golden rule for travelers “Boil it, cook it, peel it or forget it”. Keep your hands clean by proper washing and use Hand sterilizer after using a bathroom, before eating or handling some dirt. Hand sanitizers can help keep your hands clean but should not be used to replace hand washing. Only eat foods properly cooked and served hot. Avoid foods served at room temperature. Use dishes and utensils that are clean and dry. Eat fruits and vegetables you have washed in clean water or peeled by yourself. Avoid eating raw food, meats, and fish. Don’t eat food from street vendors. Drink bottled water and Avoid Tap water. Avoid using ice made from Tap water. Avoid consuming unpasteurized milk.

Treatment

A traveler’s diarrhea may get better without any treatment. The most effective ways to manage acute diarrhea will often be home remedies and over-the-counter (OTC) if you are not getting well or the symptoms get worse see a doctor.

Hydration

Hydration is very important when you have diarrhea as you would like to lose body fluid and minerals. For Hydration, it is Better no to take Alcohol, milk, soda, and other carbonated or caffeinated drinks, as they may make your symptoms worse.

Over-the-counter drugs

To help restore your body’s natural rhythm and treat diarrhea, several over-the-counter medications can help such as loperamide to relieve the symptoms of diarrhea and bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol) 2 tabs per day to protect from Diarrhea.

Doctor-prescribed treatments

If you can’t get well, doctors will prescribe antibiotics such as doxycycline (Acticlate) or ciprofloxacin (Cipro).

Foods to take during Diarrhea

Try to stick to bland foods that your body is familiar with you and know have little risk of contamination such as toast, broth, crackers, white rice, banana.

To protect you from water-born infection it is best to avoid water that comes from Tap. Instead, stick drinking only bottled water. If bottled water is not available drink boiled water. Boiling generally kills the Micro-bacteria in the water.

Sun and Heat   

Sunburn, dehydration, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke are some of the most common health concerns related to sun and heat.

Ethiopia gets a lot of suns as the country is found near the equator. The highland part is cooler and the low land is hot but both get 12 hours sun year-round.  Depending on where you go consider the following information.

Prevention and what to do

• Avoid time of the day when the sun is strong and hot / Midday. 
• Take time to acclimate to the temperature.
• Apply sunscreen on exposed skin to help prevent sunburns.
• Stay in the shade of trees or Canyon walls.
• Choose good clothing: Wearing light colors, loose, breathable clothing, shirts, shorts, pants, with Open vents, UPF-rated clothing, and Hat,
• Dehydration is important, drink adequate water, Don’t over drink to prevent over hydration.
• To prevent heat Cramp hydrates yourself and do some gentle stretching to alleviate the pain.
• Get out of the heat, Cool off by splash cool water on your face and head
• Know what you’re capable of & Evacuate

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are infections that spread from person to person through unprotected sexual intercourse, including anal, vaginal, or oral sex. Some STDs can also be spread through non-sexual means such as contaminated blood products, syringes, and needles used for injection, and potentially by unsterilized instruments used for acupuncture, piercing, and tattooing. 

HIV, chlamydia, genital herpes, human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, genital warts, and gonorrhea, some forms of hepatitis, syphilis, and Trichomoniasis are STDs.

To prevent STDs, including HIV

• choose less risky sexual behaviors
• use condoms correctly and always when you have sex
• Reduce the number of people with whom you have sex;
• Do not mix drinking or using drugs with sex
• PEP is given after a potential exposure to HIV

Medications

Some medications may or may not be available.  You can avoid any wasted time, inconvenience, or risk your health by carefully planning and packing for your travel.  

Prescription medicines to bring

• Your prescriptions
• Travelers’ diarrhea antibiotic
• Medicines to prevent malaria

Medical supplies

• Glasses and contacts
• Medical alert bracelet or necklace
• Diabetes testing supplies
• Insulin
• Inhalers
• EpiPens

Over-the-counter medicines

• Diarrhea medicine (Imodium or Pepto-Bismol)
• Antacid
• Antihistamine
• Motion sickness medicine
• Cough drops, cough suppressant, or expectorant
• Decongestant
• Pain and fever medicine (acetaminophen, aspirin, or ibuprofen)
• Mild laxative
• Mild sedative or sleep aid

Supplies to prevent illness or injury

• Hand sanitizer (containing at least 60% alcohol) or antibacterial hand wipes
• Water purification tablets
• Insect repellent (with an active ingredient like DEET or picaridin)
• Sunscreen (with UVA and UVB protection, SPF 15 or higher)
• Sunglasses and hat
• Condoms
• Earplugs

Vaccinations

The WHO and CDC recommend the following vaccinations for Ethiopia Measles Routine vaccines, Polio, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Typhoid, Cholera, Malaria, Meningitis (Meningococcal disease) Rabies, and Yellow Fever.

Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A is a highly contagious liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus.   Unlike other types of viral hepatitis, hepatitis A does not cause long-term liver damage, and it doesn’t become chronic. It can be caused by drinking contaminated water, contaminated food and close contact with a person including sex.

hepatitis B   

Hepatitis Bis a contagious virus that attacks the liver and can cause both acute and chronic diseases.  It is can be transmitted through needle stick injury, tattooing, piercing, and exposure to infected blood and body fluids, such as saliva and, menstrual, unprotected sex with an infected person, injection drug use, and transfusions with unscreened blood.

You can get hepatitis B through sexual contact, contaminated needles, and blood products, so CDC recommends this vaccine if you might have sex with a new partner, get a tattoo or piercing, or have any medical procedures.

Rabies

Rabies is a vaccine-preventable disease, usually spread to people by the bite or scratch of an infected animal. In developing countries like Ethiopia, stray dogs are the most likely to spread rabies to people. Leave any dogs, cats, wild animals alone.

Typhoid

Typhoid is an infection caused by the bacterium Salmonella typhimurium (S. Typhi). It spreads usually through contaminated food or water and direct contact with an infected person.

Measles,

Measles is an extremely contagious airborne infectious disease caused by the measles virus. Measles spread easily through the coughs and sneezes of infected person. It may also be spread through direct contact with the mouth or nasal secretions.

Polio,

Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a crippling and potentially deadly infectious disease that mainly affects young children. It is caused by poliovirus. The virus transmitted through contaminated water or food, or contact with an infected person.

Cholera,

Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused Cholera is an extremely serious infectious disease that causes severe watery diarrhea, It is caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholera.

Meningitis (Meningococcal disease)

Meningococcal meningitis is a bacterial form of meningitis, a serious infection  Spread through respiratory secretions; it requires close contact.

Yellow Fever

Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease transmitted by infected mosquitoes.

Medical Facilities in  Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

There are some good government and private medical facilities in  Addis Ababa and major cities.

In Addis Ababa there are a number of recommended Private health facilities:

Korean hospital (MCM)

Gerji

Tel: – 011 6295421/22/23/24/25/ 26/27

ST. Gabriel Hospital

22 Mazoria road            

Tel: – 011 661 3022 OR  011 661 3622

YARED HOSPITAL

CMC Road, Near megenagna square

Tel: – 011 645 4697/04

INTERNATIONAL CARDIOVASCULAR HOSPITAL       

Near Gotera, Ethio-China road          

Tel: – 011 442 4680 /81

HAYAT HOSPITAL  

Bole, near Toyota dealer       

Tel: – Tel: – 011 662 44 88 OR 011 661 4250

LAND MARK HOSPITAL    

Near Mexico square, next to Genet Hotel     

Tel: – 011 552 5463

ADDIS SPECIALIZED CARDIAC HOSPITAL       

Bole, across airport cargo terminal   

Tel: – 011 618 0709 / 011 663 4720

Pharmacies

Pharmacies in major towns are generally well stocked for commonly used Medicines, and rarely require prescriptions; always check expiry dates. However, it’s recommended to bring prescribed drugs for chronic diseases, from home as the quality is better.

More health Information

United States  Gov.    wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel

Australia    Gov.       www.travelclinic.com.au

United Kingdom Gov. www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk