Qatar residents who plan to travel abroad have been advised to be aware of measures to prevent illnesses associated with travel, which could be acquired from food, air, contact with animals, insect bites or sexual transmission.

Speaking yesterday at a press conference to announce a public lecture on Travel Medicine scheduled for Monday, June 25, Al Ahli Hospital’s Internal Medicine associate consultant Dr Abdolilah Baxarawi explained that the risks for travel-related illnesses might differ according to destination, duration and season of travel, standards of accommodation and food hygiene, traveller’s behaviour as well as their health.

“Common risks including travel include jet lag due to long distance air travel, malaria, traveller’s diarrhoea, sexually transmitted diseases including human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (Hiv/Aids) and airborne infections like measles and tuberculosis,” he said.

According to him, the top ten related diseases are cholera, dengue fever, hepatitis, HIV/Aids, Japanese encephalitis, malaria, meningococcal, rabies, typhoid and yellow fever.

He explained that travel medicine can help minimise the chances of getting the diseases, saying: “Prevention is always the best medicine and certainly can make your travel much more enjoyable. Our only advice is to come to the clinic early, because there may be immunisations as they may take more than one quick visit.”

He suggested some tips to observe prior to travel such as:

Getting a pre-travel individual health assessment from a travel medicine clinic; ensuring full travel health insurance coverage for both illness and injury; preparing to acclimatise to jet lag, altitude sickness, culture shock and the effects of heat; carrying proof of need of any prescription drugs; taking precautions with food and water; washing hands often; drinking plenty of liquids to prevent dehydration; remembering anti-malaria medication, if prescribed; remembering to take precautions against insects; using a sun-block with a minimum of SPF of 15; using of condom if having sex with someone you meet while travelling; never sharing needles to inject intravenous drugs; remembering that swimming in some fresh water poses risks including exposure to parasites; and seeing healthcare provider immediately if become sick with fever within a year (especially within three months) of return from an area known to have malaria.

Al Ahli Hospital Travel Medicine offers pre-travel counselling, immunisation and health advice to adults and those travelling outside of Qatar.