Asia and Oceania

Health facilities in North Korea are poor, even for foreigners. Standards of clinical hygiene in hospitals are poor. Anaesthetics are sometimes unavailable. Evacuation is necessary for serious illness/injury. Invasive surgery should be avoided if at all possible. Facilities for dental treatment are also poor.

You should ensure that you take sufficient supplies of any medication that you may require, as local purchase of most foreign-manufactured medicines is not possible and local medical supplies are severely limited.

Japanese encephalitis occurs in North Korea, especially during the summer. Cholera also occurs and all water is a potential health risk. You should drink or use only boiled or bottled water and avoid ice in drinks. If you suffer from diarrhoea during a visit to North Korea you should seek immediate medical attention.

You should exercise normal precautions to avoid exposure to HIV/AIDS. For more general information on how to do this see HIV and AIDS.

You should seek medical advice before travelling to DPRK and ensure that all appropriate vaccinations are up-to-date. For further information on vaccination requirements, health outbreaks and general disease protection and prevention you should visit the websites of the National Travel Heath Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) and or NHS Scotland's Fit For Travel or call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47.

For more general health information see travel health.

Avian influenza (bird flu)

There have been no confirmed cases of avian influenza (bird flu) in North Korea during the last series of outbreaks, but the World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed cases elsewhere in the region.

You should read this advice in conjunction with avian and pandemic influenza, which gives more detailed advice and information.