Sub Saharan Africa

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

• Health
• General
 

Health

Medical facilities in Burkina Faso are very limited. For serious medical treatment, evacuation to Europe is necessary.

Malaria and other tropical and water-borne diseases are common. You should consider taking protections against malaria and using insect repellent.

Burkina Faso suffers from an annual meningitis epidemic from January to May. It spreads quickly, then is rapidly stopped by the onset of the rainy season.

Safe drinking water is scarce.  You should drink only boiled/bottled water and take adequate supplies of drinkable water if travelling in rural areas.

In the 2008 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic the UNAIDS/WHO Working Group estimated that around 120,000 adults aged 15 or over in Burkina Faso 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 Burkina Faso 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 and Swine Flu.

Pandemic Influenza

The risk to humans from Avian Influenza is believed to be very low. As a precaution, you should 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.