Sub Saharan Africa

The Centre Prive d'Urgence (CPU) clinic in Kinshasa is able to cope with basic health problems and to stabilise a patient after most serious accidents. Outside Kinshasa, western standard medical facilities are practically non-existent. Medical evacuation to South Africa (or elsewhere) is advisable as soon as possible.  You should ensure that you have comprehensive medical and travel insurance, to include specifically the very high costs of evacuation by air ambulance.  Minimum turnaround time for evacuation by air ambulance is 10 hours.  If you regularly take medication, you should bring in a properly-marked supply, sufficient for the time you will be in DRC, with you.  You may find it difficult to locate the medicines you need in the country.

Malaria, rabies, polio, meningitis and cholera are common in DRC.

In December 2008 and January 2009, an outbreak of Ebola haemorrhagic fever was reported in West Kasai province (southern DRC).  Ebola is a severe, and often fatal disease. The likelihood that you will contract Ebola is low unless there has been direct contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected person, or with objects, such as needles, that have been contaminated with body fluids.  You should avoid all contact with infected patients and avoid any contact with ill or dead animals.  Further information can be found on the NaTHNaC website.

Monkey pox occurs in DRC.  The monkey pox virus is usually transmitted to humans from infected ground squirrels and rodents.  Symptoms include a fever, the appearance of pus-filled blisters all over the body, and lymph node swelling. You should avoid contact with people suffering these symptoms and with animals.

Large numbers of cases of typhoid fever have also been diagnosed in DRC in 2008.  Plague has been reported in Orientale Province (north-eastern DRC).

Large numbers of cases of acute watery diarrhoeal syndrome were reported among people living in camps for internally displaced people in North Kivu province (easter DRC) since September 2008.  In many instances these have been fatal.  In areas of poor sanitation it is not advisable to drink water unless it has been treated by boiling and filtration or with a chemical purifier.  You should avoid drinks with ice in them and food which has been rinsed in water from unknown or unhealthy sources.

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 DRC 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.