Sub Saharan Africa

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

• Health
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Health

Burundi reported its first case of AH1N1 ‘swine flu’ virus on 6 November. The public are being advised to take health precautions such as covering mouth and nose when sneezing, increase hand-washing and report suspected cases to the authorities. Burundi has for some months being asking travellers entering through the Airport to complete health forms, but has not at present put in place similar checks at the land borders.  You should monitor media reports for any developments.  

Check the “Swine Flu” page of the FCO website for further information. You can obtain further guidance on Pandemic Flu on the UK Department of Health website http://www.dh.gov.uk.

Burundi’s health system is very basic and can only offer very limited medical facilities. In the event of serious accident or illness an evacuation by air ambulance may be required.

HIV/AIDS and Malaria are prevalent in Burundi.

In the 2008 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic the UNAIDS/WHO Working Group estimated that around 90,000 adults aged 15 or over in Burundi were living with HIV; the prevalence rate was estimated at around 2.0% 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 Burundi 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.