challenges warning diseases health tips recommend health travel medicine
top toc sample plan sources closing bib bottom
challenges warning diseases health tips recommend health travel medicine
top toc sample plan sources closing bib bottom
International travelers face numerous challenges when visiting a foreign country. Getting passports and visas, setting up transportation to and while at the destination, making living arrangements, dealing with currency exchanges, and learning a new language. Health concerns are often one of the last things considered, but when traveling to some parts of the world, it should be one of the first. Traditional methods dealing with health issues include contacting personal physicians, local health departments, other health information sources, foreign embassies and travel bureaus, and the US Department of State. While these are still useful and necessary, they can be difficult to reach and time consuming to use. With the internet and the access to many first rate information sources, such as the World Health Organization, Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, and US Department of State (See Recommendations for more sources), one can quickly gather much needed information, save time, and reduce the dependence on the traditional source. This booklet provides travelers a brief introduction to finding useful information on the internet.
challenges warning diseases health tips recommend health travel medicine
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Warning! Good information on the internet is sometimes still hard to find. Some of the information has passed through many hands, and in the translations and revisions, original material may have been changed or corrupted. Information can be inaccurate or outdated, so be careful. This warning also applies to this booklet. Bad links are a sure sign of outdated information and a document that has not been updated lately. Check the date of publication, if available.
In a recent article in the magazine Internet World (Bad Medicine: Beware of useless or dangerous medical advice online by Sam Uretsky, February 1996) the author warns of the dangers of misinformation on the internet. These are a couple of things he says:
challenges warning diseases health tips recommend health travel medicine
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Some of the biggest health risks to travelers are infectious diseases such as:
challenges warning diseases health tips recommend health travel medicine
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Here are some things you can do to help stay healthy and take care of any medical conditions that might arise.
challenges warning diseases health tips recommend health travel medicine
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After deciding on the countries you are going to visit,take the following steps:
challenges warning diseases health tips recommend health travel medicine
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Organization | Travel Health Page | Description | |
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World Health Organization | International Travel and Health | Travel page under development |
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Centers For Disease Control and Prevention | CDC Travel Map Information | Extensive information |
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National Institutes of Health | Health Information | More research and US oriented |
challenges warning diseases health tips recommend health travel medicine
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Organization | Travel Health Page | Description | |
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US Department of State | Bureau of Consular Affairs | The official source from the US government |
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Virtual Tourist | Virtual Tourist II World Map | Information about countries |
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Global Network Navigator | GNN Travel Center | Good Maps of areas, but not official DOS |
challenges warning diseases health tips recommend health travel medicine
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Organization | Travel Health Page | Description | |
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Medical College of Wisconsin | International Travel Clinic | information about diseases and immunization requirements for international travel |
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Stanford University | UWMC Travel Medicine Service | Travel clinic and patient information |
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Princeton University Outdoor Action Program | High Altitude: Acclimatization and Illnesses | also Outdoors First Aid, Temperature Extremes,and others |
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Moon Publications: Travel Handbooks | Staying Healthy Handbook | Guide for International Travelers |
challenges warning diseases health tips recommend health travel medicine
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Traveling around the world can be an eye opening experience. As you prepare for the trip, take a little time out to investigate the heath issues you will be encountering. Check out the links here and others you may find useful. If there is something that you are uncertain about, be sure to verify the information with a reliable source. Be as informed as possible about the risks, so that you can maximize your chances of an enjoyable and pleasantly unforgetful trip. Bon Voyage...
(Remember to check out the Sample Pre-Trip Health Plan, Additional Sources including FTP and Gopher, and the Bibliography for more information.)
challenges warning diseases health tips recommend health travel medicine
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James Li.
This page was last updated on June 4, 1996.
challenges warning diseases health tips recommend health travel medicine
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