IAMAT |International Association of Medical Assistance to Travellers| IAMAT |International Association of Medical Assistance to Travellers|

Travel Health Journal

Our Scholarship Program Just Got Bigger!

Thanks to the generous donations from our members, more students passionate about travel medicine can now apply for an IAMAT scholarship. We’ve just expanded our International Travel Medicine Education Program to Hainan Medical University in Haikou, China where two more students will now be able to train in travel medicine. This new partnership complements our existing travel medicine scholarship training site at the Kaiser Permanente Honolulu Clinic in Hawaii. IAMAT President, Assunta Uffer-Marcolongo, second on right, meets with Hainan Medical University staff and Vice President Zeng Yu, second on left. Photo courtesy of Hainan Medical University. The IAMAT Scholarship Fund is the only one of its kind supporting doctors and nurses from low income areas and typically popular tourism ...

Ten Reasons Why Travellers Trust Our Doctors

IAMAT members trust our doctors because they know our practitioners have been chosen for their professional medical skills and English language proficiency. We have more than 50 years of experience in vetting and inspecting IAMAT affiliated clinics to ensure the highest standard of care for our members. Just in time for summer travel, we are very pleased to welcome the newest IAMAT doctors who are committed to helping travellers. Burkina Faso – Ouagadougou China – Haikou, Tai’an, Jining, Nantong, and Rizhao Democratic Republic of the Congo – Kinshasa Gambia – Banjul Germany – Rheinfelden Honduras – Tegucigalpa Indonesia – Tangerang Laos – Vientiane Peru – Cusco and Arequipa San Marino South Africa – Kriel U.S.A. – Fort Lauderdale (FL), Pensacola (FL), Bonita Springs FL), Flagstaff (AZ), and Huntsville (AL) ...

IAMAT - The International Association for Medical Assistance to Travellers

Come back with memories, not TB

Guest post by IAMAT Board member Shirley Cheng, MPH. Shirley has over 20 years of public health experience in both Canada and China. She holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Waterloo and a Bachelor of Medical Sciences from West China University of Medical Sciences. Chest x-rays courtesy of Stock.XCHNG. Today is World Tuberculosis Day. One hundred and thirty years ago, the German doctor Robert Koch discovered the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis which causes tuberculosis (TB). TB continues to be a global health concern: In 2010, 9 million people suffered from TB, 1.4 million people died from this infection, and one-third of the world’s population is at risk. The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated March 24 ...

How Travellers Can Help End 7 Neglected Tropical Diseases

Photo – Children getting medication to prevent NTDs in India. Photo by Esther Havens. Guest post by Caitlin Garlow, Communications Associate, Sabin Vaccine Institute. Sabin is a non-profit organization working to eliminate neglected tropical diseases through innovative vaccine research and development, and advocating for improved access to vaccines and essential medicines for citizens around the globe. For health-conscious individuals planning to visit other countries, there’s a pre-travel checklist: Visit the travel clinic, check Catch up on necessary immunizations, check Research medical insurance, check But even the savviest travellers may not know about all the diseases that are native to the countries they visit, how to avoid them or how they can help those affected by particularly devastating diseases that most people have ...

How to Avoid Medical Scams Abroad

Yesterday, Tullia Marcolongo, IAMAT’s Director of Programs and Development was asked by Sean O’Shea from Global TV’s Consumer SOS about avoiding medical scams abroad in light of recent reports from tourists being duped in Mexico. Some common medical scams experienced by travellers include: Taxi drivers taking commissions from private clinics to take ill tourists to their location. Doctors overcharging patients for consultations and suggesting unnecessary procedures. Clinics not accepting insurance coverage and asking for payment upfront by credit card or cash. Why is it important to be prepared with the names and locations of doctors and hospitals when people travel? In many countries the level of care is very different from what you expect back home. The standard of ...

IAMAT - The International Association for Medical Assistance to Travellers

Meet Sandy and Tatiana, our 2011 Scholars

We recently had the chance to skype with Tian Lingling (Sandy) and Tian Rui (Tatiana). Our 2011 scholars just completed a six-week intensive training course in travel medicine at the Kaiser Permanente Honolulu Travel Health Center. This scholarship program is sponsored by IAMAT, thanks to the generous support from our members. Currently, our scholarship program focuses on training Chinese scholars since China is one of the major travel destinations in the world. We are grateful to Dr. Vernon Ansdell, Dr. Johnnie Yates, and their colleagues at the Honolulu clinic for their invaluable mentorship. Some background… Tatiana is a general practitioner from Beijing and has 3 year old twins. Her work at the Beijing International Travel Healthcare Center involves doing ...

IAMAT - The International Association for Medical Assistance to Travellers

Travel and Road Safety – Know Your Risks

Did you know that the leading cause of death among travellers are road collisions? Statistics are consistently showing that the highest risk to travellers are traffic related injuries. According to a recent study done between 2007 and 2009 by the US Department of State on American travellers and expatriates, 32% of deaths reported were related to road accidents. As international tourism rates are on the rise and more people around the world are buying cars, many road safety and health advocates are sounding the alarm. In fact, the UN has declared 2011-2020, the Decade of Action for Road Safety. Left: Road traffic in Shanghai. Photo credit: Mr. Uncut Right: Sharing the road in Manila. Photo credit: Mr. Uncut Why ...

IAMAT - The International Association for Medical Assistance to Travellers

Travel and Tropical Medicine Book Launch in China

Earlier this month, IAMAT’s President M. Assunta Uffer-Marcolongo was invited to Beijing for the launch of the Chinese edition of The Travel and Tropical Medicine Manual, 4th Edition edited by two key IAMAT supporters, Dr. Elaine Jong and Dr. Christopher Sanford. The translation of this textbook is a significant milestone for travel medicine in China. As one of the most popular travel destinations, Chinese travel health providers see thousands of international travellers every year, including Chinese travellers going abroad and returning expatriates. This learning tool (now available in their own language) helps practitioners to further implement internationally recognized travel medicine best practices. It also fosters opportunities for the advancement of travel medicine’s knowledge base, training, practice, and research benefitting ...

IAMAT - The International Association for Medical Assistance to Travellers

What are the Health Effects of Air Pollution During Travel?

We often get asked how to mitigate the health effects of air pollution during travel. Outdoor air pollution (a toxic soup of chemicals, particulate matter, and biological materials that react with each other) is a major public health issue, contributing to chronic diseases, increased hospitalization, and premature mortality. In fact, the World Health Organization estimates that air pollution causes 2 million premature deaths worldwide every year. What are the symptoms of air pollution? The short-term symptoms of exposure to air pollution include itchy eyes, nose, and throat, wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, chest pain, headaches, nausea, and upper respiratory infections (bronchitis and pneumonia). It also exacerbates asthma and emphysema. Long-term effects include lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory illness, ...

IAMAT - The International Association for Medical Assistance to Travellers

More IAMAT Doctors To Help You

Our Medical Directory is growing! We’re very pleased to welcome two new doctors to our international network. IAMAT Members now have access to a mental health professional in Caracas, Venezuela and a general practitioner in Port Perry, Canada. To see our two recent additions, go to: Medical Directory. One of our main functions is to find highly qualified doctors committed to helping you in case you get sick abroad. We constantly update our Medical Directory with new information and publish a hard copy edition annually. IAMAT regularly inspects and reviews affiliated clinics based on international health standards. Our physicians and mental health practitioners volunteer to be part of IAMAT; they do not pay a membership fee to join, allowing ...