TRAVEL RECOMMENDATION
Cooperations in Ghana
Survey on the prevalence of dengue and malaria, as well as other underlying diseases in the population of Ghana
Working group Infectious Disease & Epidemiology around Jürgen May from BNITM and Oumou Maiga Ascofare from KCCR
KCCR
KUMASI CENTRE FOR COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH IN TROPICAL MEDICINE
As an international platform for biomedical research, the functioning of the KCCR is based on close collaboration between the KNUST School of Medical Sciences (SMS), Ghana, and the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM), Hamburg, Germany.
The centre is open to all scientists from other institutions, the only requirement being that a Ghanaian partner is involved in the respective project.
The main objective of the centre is to develop a number of world-class research programmes by attracting research funding. In this context, the development of training facilities and training programmes for Ghanaian postgraduate and technical staff is a priority.
As a result of our continuous efforts towards this goal, KCCR was awarded the African Network for Diagnosis and Drug Discovery Innovation (ANDi) Centre of Excellence for Applied Biomedical Research in 2011. In addition, the centre was recognised as a WHO reference laboratory for the diagnosis of Buruli ulcer. Our aim is to bring both scientists and their ideas into this network and platform to conduct research in tropical diseases.
The KCCR is organised into multidisciplinary research groups working on different topics. The research groups plan their own research strategy and are led by a group leader who is supported by coordinators, research scientists and trainees.
The groups have a research plan, funding, a range of trainees (interns, MSc, MPhil, PhD, postdoc) and engage with the community (local, national and international stakeholders).
KCCR provides administrative support and facilities to ensure timely implementation of projects.
Vaccinations
Cholera
TBE (early summer meningoencephalitis)
Yellow fever
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Japanese encephalitis
Meningococcal meningitis
Polio (polio / poliomyelitis)
Rabies
Typhoid fever
STIKO vaccination recommendations
The STIKO (Standing Vaccination Commission at the Robert Koch Institute) is responsible for the German vaccination recommendations (standard vaccinations). Every traveller should have these standard vaccinations, which are generally recommended for Germany.
AFRICA
GHANA
Vaccination recommendations
Every traveller to Ghana should have the standard vaccinations generally recommended for Germany, in particular a current vaccination against tetanus (tetanus), diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), measles and a basic immunisation against poliomyelitis/polio. Depending on age and state of health, further recommendations are added. Under Vaccinations you will find the German Vaccination Calendar of the STIKO.
Which vaccinations are also recommended for a trip depends on the type of trip and the destination country and must be clarified in a consultation.
In addition, sufficient protection against hepatitis A (jaundice) should be available for many travel countries. If you have close contact with the local population, you should also be vaccinated against Hepatitis B. Hepatitis B can be transmitted e.g. through blood, saliva and during sexual contact.
Explanations:
Mandatory
see entry regulations
Recommendation
see vaccination recommendations
Package tours
When travelling according to western standards, mainly in tourist centres, big cities, eating in upmarket restaurants or in the hotel.
Caution: Travellers often make spontaneous day trips into the interior of the country. In this case, additional vaccination protection, as with adventure trips, could be very important!
Simple travel style
In addition, sufficient protection against hepatitis A (jaundice) should be available for many travel countries. Within the western industrialised countries, chronic hepatitis B is predominantly limited to risk groups, but its incidence increases significantly outside of them. It can then be transmitted e.g. through blood, saliva and during sexual contact, but also through non-sterile (dental) medical treatment. Hepatitis B vaccination is recommended for such destinations.
Entry regulations Ghana
Yellow fever
Entry only with proof of yellow fever vaccination. Exception: Children up to the age of 9 months do not need a yellow fever vaccination.
Malaria Center for Tropical Medicine
There is a high risk of contracting malaria throughout the year and in the whole country, including the cities.
Protection against malaria
Malaria is transmitted by mosquitoes (Anopheles species). Extensive mosquito protection is therefore absolutely necessary. Mosquitoes are nocturnal and thus the risk of being bitten increases, especially in the evening hours and at night.
Rules of conduct
Keep your skin covered (light-coloured long trousers and a long-sleeved top) when staying outdoors and in the evening and night hours.
Stay in air-conditioned rooms, because mosquitoes avoid the cold, or in rooms with fly screens.
Sleep under an impregnated mosquito net as Care plus
Regularly rub effective mosquito repellents on exposed skin.
Unfortunately, repellents with the neurotoxic active ingredients DEET or Icaridin are still recommended.
In addition, insecticides in aerosols, vaporisers, fumigant spirals can be used, for example if a room found has a lot of mosquitoes. In addition, if the risk is high, clothing and mosquito nets can be impregnated with an insecticide, which significantly increases protection.
Natural remedies against mosquito bites
Natural essential oils such as neem oil, lavender oil and geraniol have repellent properties. They also have a repellent effect on mosquitoes.
Citronella
Scented geranium
Lemon eucalyptus
Clove
Peppermint
Rosemary
Cedar
Cinnamon
Lemongrass
When making, a skin-friendly body oil such as almond oil should be used in a ratio of 3-5 ml essential oil to 50 ml oil. In a special mixing ratio, they work as well or as poorly as the neurotoxic DEET. People who spend longer periods of time in malaria areas should refrain from rubbing in products containing DEET.
ZEDAN is available for purchase: as a repellent and concentrated room fragrance for vaporisation.
MM Cosmetic GmbH www.zedan.com
Attractants
Tricosen is the most important pheromone (sexual attractant) used to attract flies. It is then used in combination with insecticides or electric traps.
Another attractant for insects is carbon dioxide.
Undecan-2-one (methyl-nonyl-ketone) is a common flavouring agent that is a component of e.g. coconut oil and is used to scare away vertebrates.
Mode of action
Repellents applied to the skin evaporate and thus form a "scent coat" which causes a change in the insects' or ticks' sense of orientation. The animals are then briefly unable to locate their victim.
So-called pheromone traps contain sex hormones (pheromones) that attract insects. Due to their purpose, these pheromones only have a group- or species-specific effect.
It is important for the user to know that no repellent is 100 % effective and no attractant attracts 100 % of the target animals!
Medication
There is no vaccination against malaria!
There are various prescription malaria medicines for prevention (prophylaxis). In addition, there are stand-by medicines that can be taken with you to be able to act immediately in case of an illness ("fire extinguisher"). Which medicines are the right ones depends on many factors. Drug intolerance, regular use of other medicines or, for example, the age of the traveller can be important influencing factors.
Consultation with a travel medicine specialist is necessary. All antimalarial medicines require a prescription and must be prescribed by a doctor.
Travel first-aid kit
Every holidaymaker should have a first-aid kit. The contents of course depend on the destination and the duration of the trip. Depending on the type of trip, it should contain, among other things:
Sunscreen (for children with a high sun protection factor)
Bandages
Insect repellent
Clinical thermometer
Remedies against nausea and vomiting
Painkillers
Remedies for stomach and intestinal problems (ORS solution for diarrhoea, remedies for heartburn and constipation)
Remedies for motion sickness
Seek advice from a qualified pharmacist as soon as possible.
Important:
To be on the safe side, you should take double the amount of medicines that you take regularly and distribute them evenly between your hand luggage and your travel luggage. In various countries there are import bans on medicines (e.g. in Asia and Africa). Talk to your doctor so that he or she can issue a certificate for you to take your personal medication with you, if necessary.
The respective destination, the type of trip, planned activities and the health of each traveller are important for the advice. One person plans a holiday in the Alps, another in the Mediterranean and the next in Asia. But even for the same destination, health advice can vary. For example, for a young adult, a family with young children, for pregnant women, elderly people or patients with pre-existing conditions. The qualified advice also adapts the recommendations exactly to the planned activities: Someone planning a trekking tour or a diving holiday needs different precautions than the package tourist who has booked a hotel with high comfort.
Who pays for travel vaccinations?
There is no uniform regulation on which costs of preventive travel medicine are reimbursed by the health insurance funds. The reimbursement of travel vaccinations is not prescribed by law; it is a voluntary benefit that each individual health insurance company decides on itself. Many health insurance funds have decided to reimburse the vaccine and the medical services in full, while others assume a share of the costs.
You can find out which benefits are reimbursed by your health insurance fund in the list of health insurance funds.
Health insurance abroad
If you are travelling abroad, you should definitely take out private health insurance. Medical services abroad are often much more expensive than in Germany and the statutory health insurance companies may only reimburse the costs according to the German rates. Statutory health insurers are also not allowed to reimburse return transport to Germany in the event of an accident, for example. Make sure that the private insurance includes "assistance services", so you will also receive an emergency number. The insurance company will then organise all necessary measures on site. Compare different offers early on.
If you have to go abroad on business, you should also make sure you have health insurance abroad in good time. Insurance companies have special offers for companies.
The country health information has been compiled carefully and according to the current status. Nevertheless, no liability or guarantee can be assumed.
© MedPrä GmbH