Asia and Oceania

Outside the major cities there are few hospitals of UK standards.

Malaria and dengue fever exist in Pakistan, in coastal and low-lying areas.

In the 2008 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic the UNAIDS/WHO Working Group estimated that around 94,000 adults aged 15 or over in Pakistan 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 Pakistan 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 and Swine Flu pages.

Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)

Multiple poultry outbreaks of Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) have been occurring in Pakistan since 2006.  In 2007 there were also outbreaks in wild birds.  Most outbreaks discovered have been in North West Frontier Province, in Abbottabad and Mansehra.  Two cases of Avian Influenza were identified in farms in Karachi in February 2008.  Cases of infection in wild birds have been identified in the Islamabad Capital Territory. In November 2007, there was one confirmed human death in the Peshawar area.

Since the end of 2003, a number of human deaths have also occurred in Azerbaijan, Cambodia, China, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Laos, Nigeria, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam.

The risk from Avian Influenza is believed to be low provided you avoid visiting live animal markets, poultry farms and other places where you may come into close contact with domestic, caged or wild birds; and ensure poultry and egg dishes are thoroughly cooked.  

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned of the possibility that the Avian Influenza outbreaks could lead at some point to a human flu pandemic, if the virus mutates to a form easily transmissible between people.

British nationals living longer term in an Avian Influenza affected region should take personal responsibility for their own safety in the event of a future pandemic, including considering their access to adequate healthcare and ensuring travel documents are up to date.  

You should read this advice in conjunction with the Avian and Pandemic Influenza, which gives more detailed advice and information.