The number of people travelling internationally continues to grow. According to the World Tourism Organization, there were 1.33 billion worldwide international tourist arrivals in 2017, an increase of 88% from 2015. International arrivals increased 6% in January–April 2018 compared to the same period in 2017.
The importance of protecting the health of individual travellers, as well as safeguarding the health of the communities to which they return, cannot be overstated. People travel internationally for many reasons, including tourism, business, study abroad, research, visiting friends and relatives, ecotourism, adventure, medical tourism, mission work, and international disaster response. Travellers are as unique as their itineraries, covering all age ranges and having a variety of pre-existing health concerns and conditions.
The infectious disease risks that travellers face are dynamic—some travel destinations have become safer, while in other areas new diseases have emerged, and other diseases have re-emerged. The risk of becoming ill or injured during international travel depends on many factors, such as the region of the world visited, a traveller’s age and health status, the length of the trip, and the diversity of planned activities.
Whatever your reason for travelling, these 3 P’s will help safeguard your health: Being proactive, prepared, and protected.
Be Proactive!
Take steps to anticipate any issues that could arise during your trip. This include knowing your health status. Work with your doctor to evaluate your health. In general, you should not travel by plane if you: Have recently had any type of surgery, especially stomach, brain, eye, or orthopaedic (bone or joint) surgery. Have had a recent heart attack or stroke. Are suffering from: chest pain, pneumothorax, or a severe chronic respiratory disease,severe sinus, ear, or nose infection, any disease that you can easily spread to other people, a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or greater, swelling of the brain caused by bleeding, injury, or infection, sickle cell disease, uncontrolled psychotic illness.
If you’re travelling with disability, a weakened immune system, or a chronic illness, make sure you talk to your doctor and take extra steps to ensure a safe and healthy trip. If you’re pregnant, be sure to talk with your doctor before making any travel decisions. Pregnant women over 36 weeks may not be able to travel by plane.
Talk to your doctor if you have blood clots, including deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE). Airplane travel, especially flights longer than 4 hours, may increase the risk for DVT or PE. Check your destinations for concerns to be aware of before you leave. Depending on where you’re going and what you’ll be doing, you may need vaccinations, medicines, and destination-specific advice before your trip.
Recommendations for vaccines and medicines depend on many factors that are specific to each person. You should let your doctor know that you are planning a trip at least 4 weeks before departure to be sure you can get the vaccines and medications you need. Be sure to give your doctor the following information about your trip so they can assess your risks: Where you are travelling to, when you are leaving, the length of your trip, what types of activities you might do, other personal matters such as your age, allergies, medical and vaccine history, and prior travel experience.
Follow the advice of your doctor by getting the vaccines and medicines that are recommended for you. Make sure that you are up to date with all your routine vaccinations, including measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) and a seasonal flu vaccine. Consider any recommended travel vaccines for your destination.
Plan for injuries. Consider insurance and know the different types. Travellers are responsible for hospital and other medical expenses incurred during their trip. Be prepared to pay out of pocket at the time you receive any medical services while abroad or if you cancel plans while travelling, even if you do have insurance.
Trip Cancellation Insurance: Trip cancellation insurance covers your financial investment in your trip, such as flights, cruises, and/or train tickets. Carefully examine the policy to make sure it covers your needs, including cancellation if you or a close family member gets sick.
Travel Health Insurance: If you need to go to a hospital or clinic overseas, you may need to pay out of pocket for any services, which could be very expensive. Check your health insurance plan to see if it covers potential health needs abroad. If your insurance doesn’t cover you while you’re travelling, consider purchasing additional insurance. If you plan to participate in adventure activities, such as scuba diving or hang gliding, you may need additional extreme sports insurance.
Medical Evacuation Insurance: If you are travelling to a remote destination or to a place with limited medical capabilities or accessibility, consider buying medical evacuation insurance. This kind of insurance will cover the cost of transporting you to other parts of a country or outside the country if you are seriously ill or injured. It can be purchased separately or as part of your travel health insurance policy. It will pay for emergency transportation from a remote area to a hospital. Ensure that the policy provides a 24-hour physician support centre for you to contact in an emergency. Check your destination for concerns to be aware of before you leave. Find a travel health clinic or any other clinic at your destination.
To be continued next week.
Ade Alakija
Ade Alakija, medical director Q-Life Family Clinic & Bukola Adeniyi, Consultant Family physician and travel medicine physician Q-Life Family Clinic.
