No one left behind: Supporting migrant health

April 8, 2019

When IAMAT was established in 1960, it was with a strong spirit of global community and a desire to live in a world where healthcare is accessible to all, no matter where or who you are. In honour of World Health Day, we take a look at migrant health, the barriers migrants face when accessing healthcare, and how universal coverage can make a difference. Migrant populations often arrive at their destination healthier than the native-born population, but they can face a range of health concerns that go unmet. Universal healthcare – having access to quality healthcare regardless of your ability to pay – is an opportunity to ensure that everyone, including travellers and migrants, get the medical care they ...

What to do and where to go? A doctor’s advice for students abroad

March 27, 2019

Imagine: You’re a student, excited to study abroad. You arrive in your new home away from home, ready for a semester of learning and exploring. New people, new places, new culture – but something isn’t right, you don’t feel well. Alone in a new place, you think, “my symptoms aren’t very serious, I don’t need a doctor”. But your condition is getting worse, and you don’t speak the language or know where to go. For a 20-year-old student from San Francisco, her stay in Rome took an unexpected turn last year when she began to experience symptoms of cough, tiredness, and difficulty swallowing. All the signs pointed towards a common cold, but she was actually suffering from a rare ...

International Women’s Day: Celebrating Women in Travel Medicine

March 8, 2019

In celebration of International Women’s Day, we are proud to highlight the achievements of IAMAT women scholars. This year’s theme, Gender Balance, highlights the need for gender parity and how we can all play a role to advance the professional, social, and personal success of women. Historically, and still today in some countries, women have been prevented or discouraged from participating in medical fields. Although great progress has been made, supporting health practitioners who are women continues to be our goal, particularly in countries where opportunities for travel medicine training are limited. IAMAT Scholarships provide travel medicine training to doctors and nurses who need it most. Since its inception in 2002, the program has awarded over 30 scholarships to ...

Meet Jacqueline: Global health is for all of us

March 1, 2019

We’re excited to introduce you to Jacqueline Tucci, our Research Assistant and Social Media Coordinator. Jacqueline joined our team in October 2018. She researches and writes about health systems around the world so that travellers know what to expect at their destination. We caught up with Jacqueline to learn more about her travels and what she enjoys most about working in global health. Where did you grow up? I grew up in Cambridge, Ontario during the school year and spent my summers in Wasaga Beach. Where did you go to school? I graduated from Ryerson University in 2016 with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Politics. I currently attend Centennial College in Toronto, where I’m studying International ...

Sexual health and travel: 5 things to know

February 14, 2019

It’s easy to get swept up in the excitement of a holiday romance – but while the sand, sea, and sun set the mood, a Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) can quickly ruin it. Many travellers have sexual intercourse with a new partner while away from home. However, approximately 50% of people who engage in new sexual relationships abroad inconsistently use condoms. As a result, a large number of STIs occur in returning travellers. Wherever you go, sexual health awareness should be an important component of your pre-trip planning to protect your health and the health of your prospective partners. In celebration of Sexual and Reproductive Health Awareness Week, we’re highlighting five important things every traveller should know about sexual ...

IAMAT Scholars in action: Expanding travel medicine in Nigeria

February 8, 2019

We are pleased to introduce you to our latest IAMAT Scholar, Dr. Yetunde Fadipe of Nigeria. Yetunde received an IAMAT Scholarship to study and train with expert travel medicine faculty in London, UK. Last November, she participated in an intensive 5-day travel medicine course at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The training also involved clinical observations at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases and at the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) where she learned how to provide pre-travel advice to travellers. IAMAT Scholarships are fully funded through generous donations from IAMAT members. They provide training in travel medicine to practitioners who are passionate about improving care in their community for local patients and travellers. Here’s ...

Meet Joanna: Health enthusiast and communications specialist

January 22, 2019

We’re excited to introduce you to Joanna Poblocka, our new Communications and Marketing Specialist. Joanna joined our team in November 2018. She coordinates all of IAMAT’s social media, marketing and communications. We caught up with Joanna to learn more about her travels and what she enjoys about working with IAMAT. Where did you grow up? I was born in Poland, and also lived in Germany for a couple of years, before my family moved to Canada in 1989. We lived in Windsor, Ontario until my last year of high school. After that I moved to Ottawa where I completed my Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Arts and Social Sciences. What is your most memorable travel experience? Besides travelling within ...

True or false? The facts on airplane air, Yellow Fever, insurance, and street food

January 7, 2019

In this edition of True or false?, we take a closer look at myths about airplane air, Yellow Fever certificates, travel health insurance, and street food. Myth #1: “Breathing airplane air makes you sick.” A common misconception is that if one passenger on an airplane has an illness, then everyone else on the plane will get sick. These fears can be propelled by news stories such this one, when a flight carrying over 500 people was quarantined in New York due to sick passengers on board. The culprit of the illness, which hospitalized 11, was determined to be the flu. Is aircraft air to blame? Airplane cabins are confined spaces that may appear to be the perfect breeding ground ...

Chagas Disease: What is it and why should you care?

December 18, 2018

Travel health doesn’t exist in isolation. Many health risks encountered by travellers are the same ones that local residents are exposed to every day. One such risk is Chagas Disease. Although it’s a low risk to most short-term travellers, around 7 million people are infected worldwide – mostly in Central and South America. Due to increasing internal migration (from rural areas to urban areas) and across borders, Chagas has become an international health priority. In recognition of International Migrants Day, we explore the challenges of controlling Chagas Disease, its impact on global health, and how it disproportionately affects migrating populations. What is Chagas? Chagas Disease (also known as American Trypanosomiasis) is named after Dr. Carlos Ribeiro Justiniano Chagas, the ...

Understanding Travel Health Insurance: 26 Important Terms You Need to Know

December 11, 2018

You purchased travel health insurance coverage and are ready for your trip, but do you find yourself looking at pages and pages of fine print containing legal and medical jargon? Our latest resource Understanding Travel Health Insurance helps demystify some common terms found in insurance plans. It also includes helpful tips, advice, and questions to ask your insurer before you buy. It’s a crowded marketplace out there and finding the best coverage for your needs can be daunting. Unfortunately, travellers can find themselves out-of-pocket for medical care needed abroad because they didn’t understand their coverage. Our members have told us that policy terms and conditions have many exceptions and are difficult to understand. To help, we reviewed travel health ...

Travel Health Journal