Health, vaccinations and medical care in Kenya

Malaria

• Most of the country is malarial, including the coast, the lake region and the safari parks.
• Nairobi at 1,700 m is low risk and the highlands above 2,500 m are effectively free of it.
• Take prophylaxis for the coast, the Mara, Tsavo and Lake Victoria. Malarone or doxycycline are the usual choices; start before you arrive.
• The tablets are not a guarantee. Cover up at dusk, use repellent with DEET and sleep under the net.
• A fever within a year of coming home is malaria until proven otherwise. Tell the doctor where you have been.

Vaccinations

• Yellow fever is a legal entry requirement only if you are arriving from a country with transmission risk, and it is checked at immigration.
• Hepatitis A, typhoid and tetanus are the standard recommendations.
• Rabies is worth considering for a long trip or anywhere rural.
• See a travel clinic 6 to 8 weeks before you go, because some courses take time.

Medical care and evacuation

• Nairobi's private hospitals are very good: Nairobi Hospital, Aga Khan University Hospital, MP Shah.
• Outside the cities, care is basic, and a safari camp may be hours from a clinic on a dirt road.
• AMREF Flying Doctors flies air ambulances out of Wilson Airport and sells short-term cover to visitors. Many camps include it; ask yours.
• Insurance must cover evacuation, not just treatment, and should name safari activities.
• Treatment is paid up front. Carry the policy number and the assistance line.

Water, food and sun

• Do not drink the tap water. Bottled or filtered, including for teeth.
• Ice in hotels and lodges is made from treated water and is fine; a roadside stall is a gamble.
• Cooked and hot is the rule for street food, and nyama choma from a busy place is safe and excellent.
• The equatorial sun burns fast even at 20 °C in the highlands. Hat, sleeves, high-factor cream.
• Nairobi is at altitude and a few visitors feel it for a day. Drink water and take the first afternoon slowly.