Visiting Uganda for the first time? The most challenging part in life is to plan a trip to a new destination. And so it is a case with Uganda and several things have to be put together in order for one to have ultimate safari in Uganda. For starters, there are a number of health tips you need to consider when planning a Uganda safari through the pearl of Africa. They include;

You need proper travel vaccines
Prior setting off on a road trip or safari to Uganda, take note of travel immunizations you are expected to take.  In most cases, visitors on Uganda safari are expected to immunize themselves against hepatitis A and B, yellow fever, typhoid, cholera, meningitis, polio, measles, chickenpox and many others.

Malaria awareness
Prior embarking on actual trip, your health specialist must have prescribed for you some anti-malarial medication. Always take medication as recommended by the doctor! If you are going to have a night in an open place make sure that you come with a mosquito net. As well, you need insect repellent, long sleeved shirts or t-shirt, trousers and others.

Waterborne diseases
Keeping yourself hydrated is very good but where you get that water or the kind of water you take matters a lot. The intestinal infections are common cases for people who take contaminated water or eating food which has been exposed to contaminated water. It is because of this that we recommend you to take bottled or distilled water. You will need some pack of anti-diarrheal medication and oral rehydration packets in case of intestinal illness.

Sunscreen
The sun heat in Uganda may not be that favorable to everyone and that is why you need a good hat to protect you from that scotching sun heat and sunscreen, sunglasses or shaded to help protect you from dust, bacterial conjunctivitis which is also popular as pink eye. Avoid over staying out for long and try as much as possible to be under an umbrella.

Carry prescription and over the counter medications
Having medicine alone is not a bad thing but take note that some medications do have psychoactive properties and because of this they are abused. You therefore need a full written list of your medications, the physician and home pharmacy’s contact details. Be mindful of your health when considering which medicine to carry and do so as directed by your doctor.

Research
To learn more new things, you need to conduct some research. Check through the latest health warnings in different platforms to stay up to date. Ask yourself which contagious diseases can easily be transmitted through mosquitoes, water, unsanitary conditions and others; what are the climatic conditions in that destination are and others.

Protect your feet
When showering, you need sandals to protect your from fungal infections and parasitic infections. For those of you who plan for adventure, waterproof hiking boots are essential.

First aid kit
First aid kit or medical kit is very significant for any travel need. It is best for general emergencies and mainly contains a collection of supplies and equipment which are used to give medical treatment. In a first aid kit you will need latex gloves, bandages, antibiotic ointments, aspirin, hydrocortisone, lip balm, tweezers, iodine wipes, alcohol swabs, digital thermometer among others.

Where to seek medical care
There are many hospitals in Uganda for you to seek for medication. They include Mulago Hospital-the national referral hospital and private hospitals include Case Hospital Kampala, Nakasero Hospital Kampala, Kampala Hospital, SAS Clinic Kampala and The International Hospital of Kampala.

Travel health insurance
Make your travel complete with travel or medical insurance. With medical or travel insurance, you get to cover medical expenses, trip cancellation, lost luggage, accidents and others. This kind of insurance can be planned when booking for a trip such that it covers exactly that period of your tour.

Altitude
Uganda is an ideal destination for breathtaking adventures and if this is what you hope to take part then be ready to get to higher altitude. You therefore need to be physically well and ask your doctor to prescribe for you the altitude sickness medication for instance the Diamox.

Uganda’s healthy climate makes it possible to get on with life with a minimum of fuss. You have to take precaution against malaria by taking anti-malarial two weeks before arrival. All kinds of anti-malaria tablets are available in drug shops and there are white doctors who have been in the country for many years who will treat malaria successfully.

Nearly all-African doctors are good at treating most tropical diseases. Some malaria strains now are resistant to treatments like malaraquine or quinine, so its is better to always take precautions such as using mosquito repellents, creams or sleeping under treated bed-nets. You could also put on long sleeved shirts, socks and occasionally use sprays in your room. You are meanwhile advised to drink bottled mineral water, although tap water in most places can be drunk without problems. Some visitors to Uganda find a problem coping with fresh vegetables or fruit salads served in hotels, but the problem is usually not that of parasital infection but a change in climate for visitors. You should be able to drink most fresh juices and salads served in most decent hotels. Otherwise washing vegetables or fruits in a tincture of vinegar or salt is recommended. You might want to swim in most of the lakes or rivers, but a precaution should be taken against Schistomiasis (bilharzias).

Hospitals

The total number of hospitals both public and private in Uganda is 155. Among these, two are National Referral Hospitals (Mulago and Butabika), 14 are Regional Referral Hospitals and 139 are General Hospitals. Hospitals are major contributors to outputs of essential clinical care and take up a large volume of human and financial resources. There are 139 GHs in the country providing; preventive, outpatient curative, maternity, in-patient, emergency surgery and blood transfusion and laboratory services.

The following are some of the hospitals in different parts of the country from which Ugandans can get treatment for their health;

Mulago Hospital is the main National Regional Hospital in Uganda that was founded in 1913 for It also serves as a general hospital for the Kampala metropolitan. It’s Mission is to provide super specialized healthcare, training and conducting operational research in line with the requirements of Ministry of Health.

Kiryandongo Hospital is located 225Km along the Kampala – Gulu highway. It is a 109 bed hospital serving a population of over 400,000 people from areas of Kiryandongo, Masindi, Nakasongola, Oyam, Apac, Amuru and Nwoya districts. The hospital offers a number of services including; OPD, inpatient, Opthalmology, X-ray, ultra sound, Orthopedics, health promotion and education, occupational therapy, HIV immunization, environmental health, special clinics among others. It was constructed because of its proximity on the highway of Kampala to Gulu and there was no any other hospitals in the region expect Masindi hospital that was considered to be far.

Kabale Regional Referral Hospital is a 280 bed hospital located in Kabale Municipality in Southwestern Uganda. The hospital serves a population of about 2 million people in the districts of kabale, Kisoro, Rukungiri, Kanungu and some parts of Ntungamo as well as people from neighboring countries of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Mission of the hospital is to provide quality and sustainable, general and specialized, health services to all people in Kigezi region.

Arua Hospital was elevated to a regional referral facility in 1994. The Hospital is a public hospital, funded by the Uganda Ministry of Health and general care in the hospital is free. It is one of the thirteen Regional Referral Hospitals in Uganda. The hospital is designated as one of the fifteen Internship Hospitals in Uganda where graduates of Ugandan medical schools can serve one year of internship under the supervision of qualified specialists and consultants.

China-Uganda Friendship Hospital Naguru is donated by the Government of the People’s Republic of China and was completed and handed over to the Government of Uganda on 6th January 2012. Naguru Hospital is a meant to reduce patients from Mulago National Referral Hospital, the only general public hospital serving an estimated 3 million inhabitants of the Kampala Metropolitan Area. The hospital has a vision of being a centre of excellence in providing specialized and general health services.

Hoima Regional Referral Hospital is located in Hoima Municipality, about 200 km west of Kampala. The hospital caters for populations of the Greater Bunyoro Region, encompassing the districts of Bunyoro viz: Hoima, Kibale, Masindi, Bulisa, Kiryandongo, Kyankwanzi, Kiboga and the Eastern part of DR Congo; overall grossing over 3 million people. The present bed capacity is 300. The hospital is one of the oldest hospitals in Uganda, dating as far back as 1935. Initially, it was meant to serve a very small population at district level but in 1994 it was upgraded to referral status targeting the greater Bunyoro Region.