Asia and Oceania

Medical facilities in Kyrgyzstan are not as developed as those in the UK. You should ensure that your medical insurance includes evacuation by air ambulance.

(A) H1N1 Flu - swine flu

There are officially confirmed cases of (A) H1N1 - swine flu in Kyrgystan. Medical checkpoints are being established at Manas and Osh international airports. Not all ports of entry have doctors qualified for medical assessment. Anyone showing symptoms of (A) H1N1 may be taken to a local hospital (in either Bishkek or Osh). If quarantined, or isolated for health reasons British nationals are advised to contact the British Embassy.

Avian influenza (bird flu)

There have been no reported cases of avian influenza (also known as bird flu) in Kyrgystan, but the World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed cases elsewhere in the region.

Malaria, tuberculosis, Hepatitis A, meningitis and brucellosis are common to Kyrgyzstan. 

In 2008, 10 people (eight children and two adults) died of rabies in southern Kyrgyzstan.

In the 2008 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic the UNAIDS/WHO Working Group estimated that around 4,200 adults aged 15 or over in Kyrgyzstan were living with HIV; the prevalence rate was estimated at around 0.1% of the adult population. This compares to the prevalence rate in adults in the UK of around 0.2%. 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 Kyrgyzstan 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 NHS Scotland's Fit For Travel or call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47.

 

For more general health information see travel health.

Anthrax

As of 23 September 2008, there have been 42 cases of anthrax in people officially registered in Kyrgyzstan, mainly in the south of the country, due to insufficient measures to vaccinate animals.