Summer travel checklist

June 18, 2019

The kids are out of school, the sun is shining, and your bags are packed – the summer travel season is here! But before you hit the road, there are a few key things you and your family can do to ensure you have a healthy trip: Make sure your vaccines are up-to-date There is no better time than now to ensure your routine immunizations are up-to-date. Recently, vaccine-preventable diseases, particularly Measles, have been making a resurgence due to incomplete vaccination, vaccine refusal, gaps in vaccine coverage, and waning immunity. Measles outbreaks continue to affect many destinations around the world, including many US states, Canadian provinces, and countries in Europe, Africa, and Asia. If you are unsure about you ...

Travel and climate change: How to stay healthy and be responsible

May 31, 2019

Did you know that as travellers, we are having significant impact on climate change? Global tourism accounts for a staggering 8% of all carbon emissions. This is four times higher than originally thought and accounts for the energy needed to support the tourism industry and related goods and services. The global tourism industry is projected to continue growing, but without a commitment to sustainable growth and reduced emissions, the effects of climate change will continue to take hold. To travel as a tourist is a privilege and we owe it to the people and places we visit to be respectful and conscious of our impact. Together, we need to commit to more sustainable forms of travel. Here are five ...

In the news: Travel and mental health

May 10, 2019

This article is part of our regular travel and global health news round-up. Let’s face it: With all the excitement that goes into planning a trip, we sometimes neglect our mental health. And when we’re away from home, jetlagged, and sleep deprived – small obstacles can suddenly feel overwhelming. Before you go, it’s important to consider your mental wellbeing and be prepared – whether you have a pre-existing mental health condition or not. Just like physical health, taking care of your mental health is an important part of staying healthy. In honour of Mental Health Awareness month, this news round-up explores various topics related to mental health and travel, including the global inequity of accessible mental health care and ...

Taking a jab at Measles: Why travellers need to get vaccinated

April 29, 2019

The Measles crisis continues in many countries around the world. The disease is so contagious that 9 out of every 10 nonimmune people will be infected through contact with one infected person. Prior to the introduction of the live Measles vaccine in 1963, major epidemics were frequent and led to an estimated 2.6 million deaths a year. To celebrate World Immunization Week and its theme for this year Protected together: Vaccines work! we are taking a look at how routine immunizations (like the Measles vaccine) impact global and travel health and how travellers can ensure they are adequately protected. The resurgence of Measles Global efforts to eliminate Measles have been ongoing since 2001 when the United Nations initiated a ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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