Health and safety

Issues related to health and safety can vary widely depending on where you work, but there is the potential in any location for traffic accidents, protests, crime, natural disasters and outbreaks of disease or violent conflict. None of these are matters to be taken lightly, and your preparation for them, or lack thereof, has the potential to radically affect the course of your life. Fortunately, it’s never been easier to get informed about conditions in cities and countries around the world, and take appropriate precautions.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s traveler’s health site, http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/default.aspx, is a good place to start. The site includes country-specific and regional information on needed vaccinations and disease outbreaks; advice on prevention and preparation, such as what medicines to take; description of symptoms for some diseases; a directory of travel clinics in the U.S.; and advice on what to do in case of injury or illness abroad. It also offers a podcast on safe and healthy travel. The World Health Organization also offers a site with information for travelers, http://www.who.int/ith/en/. It maps disease occurrence, lists country-specific health information, and offers a guide for safe food for travelers.

The U.S. Department of State’s Web site for travelers, http://travel.state.gov, covers a lot of information useful to U.S. citizens and others. For each country on the globe, it describes entry and exit requirements, including required vaccinations; provides a recent history of crime and security issues, particularly as they relate to tourists or expatriates, as well as resources for victims of crime; offers advice on financial transactions and avoidance of fraud; and assesses the medical facilities of the country.

Up-to-date travel guides also usually provide good basic guidance on health care and disease occurrence and prevention.