SECURITY
+ HEALTH
KEEPING HEALTHY
Infectious diseases are much more common in
Kenya than in the developed world and because
of this we recommend you take the necessary
precautions to ensure that you stay healthy.
There are a number of vaccinations that are
recommended and these include:
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Yellow fever;
Typhoid;
Hepatitis B;
Meningococcal;
Rabies, MMR; and
Polio.
These can be obtained at your local travel doctor
or GP. You must have a yellow fever vaccine stamp
to pass through immigration at Nairobi airport.
Malaria prophylaxis is also strongly suggested as
there is a high level of malaria in Western Province.
There are a number of medications available for
this such as Doxycycline, Malarone and Larium.
Each have their positives and drawbacks and
we suggest you speak to your doctor about this.
Remember, with some of these medications you
need to start taking them before you leave so
don’t leave things to the last minute.
It is advisable to pack a course of antimalarials
to take if you contract malaria. The medication
now advised by the WHO to use is an artemesin
combination treatment with artemether and
lumefantrine, commonly known as co-artem.
Finally, it’s not uncommon to get a bout of
diarrohea while you are staying in Shikunga. This
will usually resolve itself over a week or so. While
you are unwell you need to remember to keep your
fluid intake up by replacing losses and if there is
any blood or if the diarrohea persists longer than
one week seek medical attention. Remember to
only drink water that has been purchased in sealed
bottles.
As Shikunga is a rural village it is important to
have a backup plan of what you will do if you get
sick. One option is to register with AMREF, a flying
doctor service you can contact in an emergency.
See our Resources section at the back of this
brochure for more details.
STAYING SAFE
While Kenya is known for its relative stability
among African countries there is always the
possibility of civil or political unrest. We suggest
registering with smarttraveller.gov.au prior to
departure in order to ensure the Australian
government is aware of your location.
Nairobi also has a reputation of being a dangerous
city, however over the last few years it has
improved dramatically. This being said please take
care while you are in Nairobi, don’t wear excessive
jewellery and don’t walk in unlit or unpopulated
areas alone.
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