World Polio Day, photo by Rotary International

Travel and Polio Eradication

October 23, 2015

Polio eradication Global polio eradication programs have been part of international public health efforts since the 1980s. Now, only two countries (Pakistan and Afghanistan) are polio-endemic, meaning that the disease regularly circulates in those areas. In 1988, polio was endemic in over 125 countries. This past August, Africa achieved a major milestone – no polio cases in a year. The last polio case on the continent was reported in Somalia in August 2014. Nigeria has also played a big role in combatting polio. Thanks to aggressive vaccination campaigns, Nigeria celebrated one year without a case of polio in July 2015 and was removed from the list of polio-endemic countries. Countries can be declared polio-free three years after the last ...

Coping with culture shock

October 9, 2015

What is culture shock? The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines culture shock as “a feeling of confusion, doubt, or nervousness caused by being in a place (such as a foreign country) that is very different from what you are used to.” In travel, culture shock usually occurs when a person goes to a place with a culture very different from their own. It creates temporary psychological stress from being overwhelmed by the new culture and not knowing how to adapt or fit into the new environment. Culture shock can affect anyone but it’s most common in students, expatriates, or travellers on long-term trips. Coping with culture shock Common signs of culture shock include feeling insecure, inadequate, confused, isolated, angry, or irritable; homesickness; ...

Rabies: A global and travel health issue

September 28, 2015

Rabies around the world Rabies is a global health issue with a long history. One of the earliest developments in vaccine research was Louis Pasteur’s discovery of how to artificially reduce, or attenuate, a virus’ virulence which he used to successfully administer the first post-exposure rabies treatment in 1885. The virus that causes rabies is present on all continents except Antarctica. While only specific travellers may need pre-exposure rabies vaccinations, rabies remains a significant and complicated public health issue in many countries. Most human rabies infections in developing countries – the majority occurring in Asia and Africa – are caused by dog bites, and vaccination of domestic and feral dogs is an effective way to reduce the risk. Many ...

NEW! Guide to Travel Health Insurance

September 20, 2015

Did you know that our new Guide to Travel Health Insurance is out? Hot off the presses, this guide seeks to answer one of the most frequently asked questions we get from travellers: “Where can I find travel health insurance and what should I look for?” IAMAT members told us that they are looking for guidance on how to navigate the world of travel health insurance. We did the research for you and wrote a comprehensive primer to help you find the best coverage for your needs. Travel insurance insiders Bruce Cappon of First Rate Insurance and Damian Tysdal of Travel Insurance Review also share their tips on how to buy wisely. We do not name any companies in ...

Ethical international volunteering checklist

September 18, 2015

Your responsibility as a traveller Your friend just got back from volunteering abroad – and it sounds like she had the trip of a lifetime. You’re excited to get your hands dirty, but before you book a trip, take a step back to assess why you’re volunteering and how your trip will affect the community you visit. Start by asking yourself: Why do I want to go abroad? What do I hope to achieve? Planning your ethical volunteer trip Every aspect of travel has an effect on your host community. You’ll be there temporarily but the people in the community will live with the long-term impacts of your volunteerism. Be realistic about your skills and be honest about what ...

Travel Health Basics: Before You Go

August 31, 2015

Planning a healthy trip Nobody wants to think about getting sick abroad when they could be scoping out the best sights to see. However, being informed about health risks at your destination and learning what you can do to avoid them are key to planning a memorable trip. Travel health is about prevention and common sense. Be aware of health issues that may arise and take appropriate measures to prevent illnesses and injuries when you’re travelling, not only for your own well-being, but for the people and communities you encounter during your trip. The tips below will help you determine how far in advance you need to prepare, which immunizations and medications you’ll need, and why other travellers may ...

Taking travel health online

August 11, 2015

This article is part of our 55th Anniversary blog series. To learn more, visit our 55th Anniversary page. The 1990s were a decade of rapid change in technology and communication. By the end of that decade, travellers were gravitating to a new community: the Internet. The Internet and home computers made it easier to find information, so more and more travellers began to seek travel health information online. A big part of our work involves making it easy for you to find the information you need, so it was only natural for us to bring health resources to travellers electronically. IAMAT’s first website launched in 1999 to provide periodic travel health updates and give members online access to the Medical ...

Chinese scholars prepare for the ISTM exam

Supporting travel medicine in China

August 3, 2015

This article is part of our 55th Anniversary blog series. To learn more, visit our 55th Anniversary page. Building bridges across the Pacific In 1995, Dr. Elaine Jong, Chair of IAMAT’s International Medical Board and Assunta Uffer-Marcolongo, President were invited to attend the first Chinese Travel Medicine Conference in Shanghai. This conference was organized by Professor Gu Jin Xiang, a Chinese physician who foresaw the need for establishing travel medicine clinics in China, not only for visitors but also for Chinese travellers going overseas in ever larger numbers. Elaine and Assunta were invited to give lectures on travel vaccines used in Western countries, preparation of travellers for their journeys and discussions of the spread of infectious diseases through travel. In ...

What’s changed in air travel since 1960?

June 22, 2015

This article is part of our 55th Anniversary blog series. To learn more, visit our 55th Anniversary page. What has changed since you started travelling? Over 1.1 billion tourists travelled abroad in 2014, compared to 25 million in 1950. IAMAT was founded in 1960 and we’ve seen massive changes in the travel industry over the last 55 years. From aircraft technology to destinations to travellers’ fashions, every decade brought big changes to the way we experience international travel. Travel in style In the 1960s and 1970s, flying was a special experience. Travellers dressed up for the flight and the chance to see and be seen. Less formal, more comfortable clothing is a relatively recent trend in travellers’ wardrobes. In ...

Scholars make connections between tropical medicine and global health

June 12, 2015

We recently checked in with Dr Zhang Min from Guangzhou and Dr He Lei from Hangzhou, recipients of the 2015 IAMAT-China Travel Medicine Scholarship. Min and Lei are participating in an eight week Tropical Medicine and Global Health course at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston with Dr Lynn Soong, Professor of Microbiology/Immunology and Parasitology. Both Min and Lei are certified travel health practitioners. Min was IAMAT’s first scholarship recipient in 2002 and has mentored many of her Chinese colleagues preparing for the ISTM Certificate in Travel Health examination. The course covers epidemiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of tropical infectious diseases. Min and Lei are also learning about major global health challenges such as treatment ...

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