In general, it is recommended to wash your hands several times a day, not to drink tap water (bottled mineral water is fine if unopened), avoid eating raw vegetables and fruit which you cannot peel if you travel outside of organized tours and eat meat and fish that has been well cooked. Sparkling water (Crystal/Visy Gasy/Rano Visy) or flat water (Eau vive, La Source) is readily available throughout the country.
Preventive therapy is recommended throughout the island (even if the risks are greater in the North-West and North-East than in the rest of the island). The prevention best tolerated by most people is usually a combination of "Nivaquine + Paludrine" or "Savarine" begun before departure and continued after a few weeks upon your return.
In all cases, it is better to consult your doctor for a suitable dose. It is advisable to bring (in case of contamination) medication such as "Halfan" or "Lariam", as well as Paracetamol for fevers. You can visit the Pasteur Institute for further information.
It is always wise to carry with you a small pharmacy kit.
Aspirin and / or paracetamol, an antidiarrheal medication (such as immodium), a broad-spectrum antibiotic, an anti-inflammatory, an anti-inflammatory ointment, a painkiller, an antihistamine cream (to soothe insect bites), eye drops (in case of dust and eyestrain related to the sun), an anti-itching cream, sun cream, mosquito repellant, and water purifying tablets if necessary (type AQUAPUR tablets ).
Band-Aids are always useful and do not forget an inhaler (such as Ventolin) if you are prone to asthma.
If you follow a particular medical treatment, bring a sufficient quantity of your medication for the duration of your stay. Although Malagasy pharmacies are well-stocked in all major cities, you'll be more autonomous and serene. At the end of your stay, you can give your guide your unused medication. S/he will pass it on to our clinics where is will be used.
MADA 2047. All guides have a first aid certificate from the Red Cross.
There are no vaccination requirements for travelers from Europe, but it is recommended to be updated for the following vaccines:
• DT-Polio;
• Hepatitis A;
• Hepatitis B;
• the vaccine three T: tetanus-typhoid and typhus;
• Yellow fever: compulsory only if a trip to black Africa is scheduled before or after your stay;
• for extended stays in the bush, it is recommended to be vaccinated against rabies. If you are bitten, you only need a second shot and will avoid the injection of an anti-rabies serum.
• anti-malarial treatment: recommended especially for high-risk areas (mainly East Coast) and during the rainy season.
