Health

Recommended vaccinations: All adults are encouraged to stay up-to-date on routine vaccinations: measles/mumps/rubella (MMR), diphtheria/pertussis/tetanus (DPT), and polio virus vaccines.

Required vaccination: Yellow Fever — required upon arrival for all travelers older than 9 months of age; it is recommended to receive the vaccination at least 10 days before arriving.

Malaria occurs in all regions of Ghana. If you will be traveling to Ghana, you should discuss methods of prevention with your healthcare provider. Methods include:

• Taking a prescription antimalarial drug

• Using insect repellent and wearing long pants and sleeves to prevent mosquito bites Sleeping in air-conditioned or well-screened rooms and using bednets

All of the following antimalarial drugs are equal options for preventing malaria in Ghana: Atovaquone/proguanil, doxycycline, or mefloquine.

Other diseases that occur in Ghana and West Africa include: Dengue, filariasis, leishmaniasis, and onchocerciasis (all are carried by insects). Do not swim in fresh water while in Ghana and take all precautions to avoid insect bites.

Tuberculosis is also a growing concern in Ghana and West Africa for which we informed the tuberculosis office in the Netherlands and they advised us to go see them after we have returned.