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Health Matters
Before you go
Make sure that you have organised your injections and anti-malarial tablets in good time. If you need to have live vaccines you will need to leave a certain number of weeks between jabs; similarly with anti malarial medication you are advised to commence it several weeks before you travel in order to make sure that you don’t have an adverse reaction in foreign climes.

The Department of Health produces a booklet, Health Advice for Travellers (available from post offices or by calling 0800 555 777), which lists vaccinations required for most countries and also advice about medical insurance. Another organisation – InterHealth – produces advice on preventative medicine required for the different countries, produces information leaflets on different tropical diseases, and sells relevant medical kits for overseas travel.   They can also do pre and post-visit medical cheques and individual advice:
Address: 157 Waterloo Road, London, SE1 8US, United Kingdom
Telephone: 020 7902 9000
Email info@interhealth.org.uk
Website www.interhealth.org.uk

Make sure that you have details of how to contact the local British consulate in an emergency, and do ensure that someone at home has emergency contact details for you and a copy of your flight details and itinerary.

Whilst away
Make sure you take suitable health precautions.

• Know which foods are safe to eat (e.g. salads, washed in local unpurified water are best avoided); 
•  Take water-purifying tablets and boil and filter water where possible;
• Take plenty of insect repellent and remember to wear long sleeves and trousers in the evening and early morning;
• Remember your premethrin impregnated mosquito net, and make sure that you will be able to hang it up properly;
• Sun-hats and sun block are essential for hot climates, and fans come in useful;
• Avoid sloshing your way through stagnant water as worms are common overseas;
• Make sure you know your blood group and have a clean needle and syringe with you as well as plenty of oral rehydration and anti diarrhoeal medication.

Make sure you have health insurance and enough medication – if you take any – to last your whole trip.

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© First Edition with appendices – August 2004 Christian Medical Fellowship, London. Christian Student Nurses & Midwives, Leicester Credits: This booklet was originally written by Sally Foster, CSNM’s former Staff Worker, and has been updated and expanded by Steven Fouch, CMF’s Allied Professions Secretary. Any corrections, suggestions or comments please forward to healthserve@cmf.org.uk All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of CMF. Christian Medical Fellowship 6 Marshalsea Road London SE1 1HL United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)20 7234 9660 Fax: +44 (0)20 7234 9661 E-mail 1: healthserve@cmf.org.uk (HealthServe Office) Email 2: steve.fouch@cmf.org.uk (Steven Fouch, Allied Professions Secretary) Website: www.healthserve.org Christian Medical Fellowship is a registered charity No. 1039823 DISCLAIMER CMF cannot be held responsible for the information contained in this booklet. Students will have to confirm the information with the individual institutions and missions agencies including the conditions for undertaking electives and the precautions advised to reduce health and transport risks.