VEHICLE      EQUIPMENT      HEALTH      PAPERWORK 

Obviously, we will need to make sure that we will be fit for this type of trip.  We will need to be up to date with our dentistry, have optical check-ups and make sure that we are medically fit, with enough prescription medication (in my case) to last for the trip.

Then, we come to health precautions to travel to Africa, and the list is a long one!  Necessary vaccinations for the East Coast of Africa are:

• Hepatitis B (3 injections over a six month period for primary immunisation and then a booster every 3 yrs)
• Yellow Fever (1 injection lasting 10yrs)
• Tetanus/Diphtheria (booster every 10 yrs)
• Typhoid (combined with Hepatitis A vaccine, booster needed at 3 yrs)
• Hepatitis A (2 injections over 6 months and booster at 10 yrs)
• BCG (if not had at school)
• Rabies (3 injections over 1 month)
• Polio (booster for travellers at 10yrs)
• Meningococcal (ACWY Vax) recommended for travellers
• Dukoral oral cholera vaccine, 2 doses taken 1-6 weeks apart

Then comes the debatable issue of Malaria prophylaxis!  Malaria is the biggest single risk, and obviously the first line of defense is protection.  Therefore we will be taking mosquito nets, Deet based insect repellents and bug-proof clothing treatment.  There a number of prophylaxis on the market.  Chloroquine and Proguanil are unsuitable in much of Africa, where mosquitos are now resistant to these.  Malarone is good, but expensive and only licensed for 3 months in the UK.  Larium has the advantage of having a dosage of one tablet a week, but many people have experienced unpleasant side effects from this.  Doxycyclone has the added advantage of being an anti-biotic and giving some protection from travellers diarrhoea.

We finally made the decision to take Larium: we took the advice of the nurse at Nomad, and decided to ask for a three week prescription in June, to check whether either of us experienced an unpleasant reaction, but we were fine, so Larium it is!

Because we will often be a long way from medical care, we will need an extensive medical kit.  After much deliberation, reading other people's recommendations and consulting a GP friend, we came up with the final list.  It is important to note that items which are only available on prescription (including malaria prophylactic) are expensive, as private prescriptions are required.

MEDICAL  KIT

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