Europe

On 29 October 2009, the Ukrainian Health Ministry announced an outbreak of the A (H1N1) (Swine Flu) virus in Ukraine. According to the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, as of 16 November the total number of people who have fallen ill with influenza and acute respiratory illness is 1,400,000 with 78,000 having been hospitalised and 315 fatalities.  Western Ukraine has been the region most affected. For further details, go to the website of the World Health Organisation at: www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.html. 

On 12 November, following a ten day visit to western Ukraine, a World Health Organisation field mission reported that the official Ukrainian figures included all deaths from flu and acute respiratory illnesses and should therefore be handled with care, and that the outbreak may not be killing more people than normal seasonal flu.  The World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised its Swine Flu Pandemic Threat Alert Phase to Level 6.  The WHO website at: www.who.int has further details. You should monitor media reports for any developments and advice. There is a dedicated Swine Flu page on this website. Guidance on Pandemic Flu can be obtained on the UK Department of Health website: http://www.dh.gov.uk. Please be aware that the availability of anti-viral medicine may be limited in Ukraine.

State medical facilities in Ukraine are generally poor.  Private clinics and hospitals offer a better standard of care, though these do not always meet western standards and practices.  If you are involved in an accident or taken ill, it is likely that you would be taken to a State hospital unless you can show that you have comprehensive medical insurance cover.

There is a bilateral agreement on Emergency Medical Treatment between Ukraine and the UK. You do not therefore need to pay an insurance levy when you arrive.   If any attempt is made to charge you, you should inform the British Embassy in Kyiv.  However, the agreement covers only emergency medical treatment. We recommend that you take out comprehensive medical insurance cover before you travel

The risk of radioactive contamination from the 1986 accident at Chernobyl is insignificant, other than within the exclusion zone immediately around the Chernobyl site.  No special precautions are necessary.

You should drink or use only boiled or bottled water and avoid ice in drinks.  If you suffer from diarrhoea during a visit to Ukraine you should seek immediate medical attention.

In the 2008 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic the UNAIDS/WHO Working Group estimated that around 430,000 adults aged 15 or over in Ukraine were living with HIV; the prevalence rate was estimated at around 1.6% 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 Ukraine 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  NaTHNaC and NHS Scotland's Fit For Travel or call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47.

For more general health information see Travel Health.