Please consult your health-care provider 4-6 weeks prior to travel to ensure you are receiving all required vaccinations and that the medication has enough time to take effect. We highly recommend the purchase of travel insurance with medical benefits and that you bring any personal medication with you. Please also check with your health department prior to departure for any changes in health regulations.
Medical facilities in the capital of Windhoek and in large towns are capable of providing emergency care and performing many routine procedures. Doctors and dentists are generally well-trained. Well-equipped facilities are rarely available in smaller towns. Carry prescription medication in original packaging with your doctor’s prescription. Be sure to verify with the Namibian Ministry of Foreign Affairs that your medications are legal before you travel.
Required Immunizations/Vaccinations:
Yellow Fever – all travelers coming from a yellow fever infected country will be required to show a valid Yellow Fever certificate on arrival. It is otherwise not required or recommended. You should be vaccinated at least 10 days before you travel, as this will allow enough time for your body to develop protection against the yellow fever infection. Your proof of vaccination certificate will only become valid after this time.
Recommended Immunizations/Vaccinations:
Malaria prophylaxis – highly recommended for all travelers
Malaria
Malaria transmission occurs in the Northern (Omusati, Oshana, Ohangwena, Oshikoto, Otjozondjupa, Kavango (east and west), Zambezi, and portions of Kunene) and Eastern (portions of Omaheke) regions of Namibia. Expert opinion differs regarding the best approach to malaria prophylaxis. It is important to bear in mind that malaria may be contracted despite chemoprophylaxis, especially in areas where chloroquine resistance has been reported.
We strongly recommend you take the following preventative measures:
Use plenty of mosquito repellent. Some properties provide a locally made repellent but please bring your own as there may be skin sensitivity.
Wear long-sleeved shirts and trousers/slacks in the evenings.
Please use the mosquito net over your bed where supplied/available.
If staying in a bungalow or tent, spray with a suitable insecticide to kill any mosquitoes that may have flown into your room.
Mosquito coils are also effective.
There is a six to seven day minimum incubation period before symptoms present themselves. If you become ill on your return, while still on prophylaxis or even once you have stopped taking them, ensure that your doctor does everything to establish that your illness is not malaria. Please remember the best precaution is the preventative kind.
It is inadvisable for pregnant women to visit malarial areas as malaria infection during pregnancy can be detrimental to both mother and child.
Ticks
Ticks are also well known as carriers of diseases that affect both animals and humans, and in Southern Africa this is referred to as tick bite fever. After walking in the bush it is best to brush your clothes down and to examine your body for ticks. If a tick is found, remove it entirely without leaving the biting mouth parts in your skin. Anti-tick sprays such as Bayticol can be very effective against ticks and wearing long pants will prevent many bites.