The only obligatory vaccine is yellow fever, but only to travellers older than one year old coming from infected areas. Even if you are a citizen from a non-infected country, you may be requested to show your certificate if you arrive from countries such as Rwanda or Congo. In any case, it is advisable to get the vaccines against yellow fever, hepatitis, typhus and tetanus.

For vaccination and the most suitable antipaludic chemoprophylaxis, ask your country's international and travel health service.

And talking about prevention, Kenya has a high AIDS rate. At least half of the prostitutes are HIV carriers. Further, the classical sexual diseases are widely spread. If you happen to maintain sexual intercourse with Kenyans, take all the necessary precautions.

Med insurance:

Get some medical insurance to cover the expenses for ambulance transport, hospitalisation and travelling back home. If you organise your trip through a travel agency, you will possibly receive an insurance included in the total price. Otherwise you will have to purchase an insurance on your own. Make sure to read all the conditions: some situations you will be exposed to in Kenya are out of the coverage of some insurances because they are considered "dangerous practices".

Water:

In general, tap water is not drinkable, except for Nairobi and Mombasa, but caution must always be taken. Drink only mineral water from sealed bottles, water boiled for 10 minutes, bleach-chlorated water (2 drops per liter of pure sodium hypochlorite devoid of detergents or perfumes, 30 minutes), chemically purified water (Aquaclear^® or similar) or bottled drinks. In the hotels' and lodges' rooms you will find bottles or flasks of mineral water. During your game drives, do not forget water supplies to avoid dehydration, especially in the hottest areas. Mineral water is quite expensive at the lodges.

Concerning freshwater bathing, avoid it unless you are absolutely sure of the sanitary conditions of the waters. These can contain parasites that penetrate the skin, such as Schistosoma, which produces the disease known as bilharziosis. Never be too confident, even the most crystal clear waters are potentially dangerous. This parasite is frequent in Lake Victoria. Do not bathe even if you see the natives doing it. Obviously, the same applies to walking bare footed or with open shoes through swampy lands. The lodges' swimming pools are fully safe.

Food:

As a general rule, avoid raw food. Non-cooked vegetables must be maintained for half an hour in bleached water (sodium hypochlorite devoid of detergents or perfumes), with one or two drops per liter. Fruit should be peeled or washed in bleached water. Be careful with the ice-creams, cakes and drinks on the rocks. This advice does not apply to the major hotels and lodges, that are fully reliable in the foods and drinks they serve.

Mosquitoes:

In addition to antipaludic chemoprophylaxis, it is very convenient to prevent mosquito bites. The high activity hours for these insects are at night, so make sure to wear long pants and sleeves from dusk to dawn. Avoid the dark clothes, since they attract mosquitoes.

Protect the exposed areas of your body with a repellent among the many ones existing in the market. Choose products containing 35-50% of N,N-diethyl-m-tholuamide (DEET), the most classic of the repellent compounds. DEET-based repellents must be reapplied every 4-6 hours. They are not recommended for pregnant women or children under 10 years. DEET is toxic, sticky and smells terribly, also it attacks plastics and impregnates its flavour in everything you eat. Not very nice but highly effective.

Other repellents are based on dimethylphthalate (DMP), which must be used at a concentration of at least 40%. For children under 10 years and over 30 months, it is advisable to use repellents based on ethylhexanediol (EHD). This substance, specially effective against Anopheles, must be used at a concentration of 30-50%. Other repelling compound is N-buthyl-N-acetyl-3-ethylaminepropionate (better known as 35/35), which is used at 20-30%. Finally, the new generation of Autan^® repellents contain a different substance called Bayrepel^®, a piperidine derivative (1-piperidincarboxylic acid, 2-(2-hydroxiethyl)-, 1-methylpropilesther) at 20%.

For added safety, it is usual to use ambient insecticides and mosquito nets. Some lodges, specially in risk areas, provide mosquito nets, but if you prefer to use your own, better impregnate it with a pyrethrine derivative (permethrine or deltamethrine). You will find insecticides in some lodges' rooms, either in spray or in tablets for electric diffusers. In the latter case, check the power supply, most lodges are self-powered and some of them cut the supply at certain times. As an alternative, you can buy a battery-operated diffuser in your home country.

First-aid kit:

In addition to antipaludic drugs and repellents, a good first-aid kit should include a disinfectant, material for curing wounds and some drugs for diarrhoea, colds, pains, allergies and insect bites. If you suffer from motion sickness, bring some pills for the road.

Medical care:

If in spite of all you need medical care, don't worry. In Nairobi there are good doctors and hospitals, especially Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi Hospital and Aga Khan Hospital. In the rest of the country you will only find modest hospitals and clinics.