South America and South Atlantic Islands

• Travel Summary
• Safety and security
• Local laws and customs
• Entry requirements

• Health
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• General
 

Health

Medical facilities in the largest cities are good and they are acceptable in the main tourist areas.  Outside those areas facilities may not be to the standards expected.

A (H1N1) - Swine Flu

There are confirmed human cases of A (H1N1) - Swine Flu in Bolivia. Most of these have so far been in and around Santa Cruz. You can check for updates on the number of cases and their location through the Organizacion Panamericana de la Salud at http://www.ops.org.bo/ (in Spanish). The Bolivian immigration authorities are monitoring people arriving at ports of entry and on internal flights, and may quarantine individuals displaying symptoms.  The World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised its Pandemic Threat Alert Phase to Level 6. The WHO website has further details. There is a dedicated swine flu page on the FCO website. Guidance on Pandemic Flu can be obtained on the UK Department of Health website.

Dengue Fever

Dengue Fever is common to Latin America and the Caribbean and can occur throughout the year. There were serious outbreaks earlier this year in Bolivia (especially in the provinces of Santa Cruz (around the city), Beni (Riberalta), Pando (Cobija) and Cochabamba (Villa Tunari)). The worst of the epidemic has passed, but there are still cases, and travellers should take extra precautions against being bitten by mosquitoes.

Yellow Fever

The Bolivian Government announced on 24 June 2009 that foreigners entering areas which had been designated 'high risk' for Yellow Fever would need a valid Yellow Fever certificate. These areas include all of the regions of Santa Cruz, Pando and Beni, and much of Cochabamba, Tarija and northern La Paz departments. The highland region of the country, including the cities of La Paz, Potosi and Oruro, Lake Titicaca and the Salar de Uyuni, is not affected.  When outbreaks occur, the government sets up vaccination points at police checkpoints. At each of these, you may be vaccinated if you do not hold a valid Yellow Fever vaccination certificate.

The Bolivian authorities are requesting that all travellers who arrive from Brazil or Paraguay should show valid Yellow Fever vaccination certificates

There is a high incidence of malaria in lowland tropical areas (Beni and Pando) and the area known as Chaco in the south (Yacuiba, Paracari). There have also been outbreaks of leptospirosis in rural areas of Chuquisaca.

In the 2008 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic the UNAIDS/WHO Working Group estimated that around 7,900 adults aged 15 or over in Bolivia were living with HIV; the prevalence rate was estimated at around 0.2% 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 Bolivia 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 Health 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.