Niger - HealthNiger - Health
Health facilities are extremely limited in Niamey and urban centers, and completely inadequate outside the capital. Although physicians are generally well trained, even the best hospitals in Niamey suffer from inadequate facilities, antiquated equipment and shortages of supplies (particularly medicine). Emergency assistance is limited to very basic care and most serious conditions require medical evacuation to Europe or the United States. Travelers must carry their own properly labeled supply of prescription drugs and preventative medicines and should obtain emergency medical evacuation insurance.
Malaria prevails in Niger. Plasmodium falciparum malaria, the serious and sometimes fatal strain in Niger, is resistant to the anti-malarial drug chloroquine. Because travelers to Niger are at high risk for contracting malaria, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises that travelers should take mefloquine (Lariam), doxycycline, or atovaquone/proguanil (Malarone). The CDC has determined that a traveler who is on an appropriate antimalarial drug has a greatly reduced chance of contracting the disease. Other personal protective measures, such as the use of insect repellents and bed nets, also help to reduce malaria risk. Travelers who become ill with a fever or flu-like illness while traveling in a malaria-risk area and up to one year after returning home should seek prompt medical attention and tell the physician their travel history and what antimalarials they have been taking. For additional information on malaria, protection from insect bites, and antimalarial drugs, please visit the CDC Travelers’ Health website.
Tap water is unsafe to drink throughout Niger and should be avoided. Bottled water and beverages are safe, although visitors should be aware that many restaurants and hotels serve tap water. Ice made from tap water is also unsafe to consume.
Information on vaccinations and other health precautions, such as safe food and water precautions and insect-bite protection, may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's hotline for international travelers at 1-877-FYI-TRIP (877-394-8747); or via the CDC's Travelers’ Health webpage. Documentation of yellow fever vaccination is required for entry into Niger. Additionally, typhoid, meningitis, and hepatitis A vaccinations are strongly advised. Those spending extended periods of time in Niger should also consider the rabies pre-exposure vaccine series. Travelers should also make sure their routine immunizations are up to date. For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad consult the World Health Organization’s website. Further health information for travelers is available at the World Health Organization’s International Travel and Health webpage. Prepared by our U.S. Embassies abroad. With its network of 108 offices across the United States and in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.
Malaria prevails in Niger. Plasmodium falciparum malaria, the serious and sometimes fatal strain in Niger, is resistant to the anti-malarial drug chloroquine. Because travelers to Niger are at high risk for contracting malaria, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises that travelers should take mefloquine (Lariam), doxycycline, or atovaquone/proguanil (Malarone). The CDC has determined that a traveler who is on an appropriate antimalarial drug has a greatly reduced chance of contracting the disease. Other personal protective measures, such as the use of insect repellents and bed nets, also help to reduce malaria risk. Travelers who become ill with a fever or flu-like illness while traveling in a malaria-risk area and up to one year after returning home should seek prompt medical attention and tell the physician their travel history and what antimalarials they have been taking. For additional information on malaria, protection from insect bites, and antimalarial drugs, please visit the CDC Travelers’ Health website.
Tap water is unsafe to drink throughout Niger and should be avoided. Bottled water and beverages are safe, although visitors should be aware that many restaurants and hotels serve tap water. Ice made from tap water is also unsafe to consume.
Information on vaccinations and other health precautions, such as safe food and water precautions and insect-bite protection, may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's hotline for international travelers at 1-877-FYI-TRIP (877-394-8747); or via the CDC's Travelers’ Health webpage. Documentation of yellow fever vaccination is required for entry into Niger. Additionally, typhoid, meningitis, and hepatitis A vaccinations are strongly advised. Those spending extended periods of time in Niger should also consider the rabies pre-exposure vaccine series. Travelers should also make sure their routine immunizations are up to date. For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad consult the World Health Organization’s website. Further health information for travelers is available at the World Health Organization’s International Travel and Health webpage. Prepared by our U.S. Embassies abroad. With its network of 108 offices across the United States and in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.