What is healthcare in Equatorial Guinea like?

Facilities and Health Information

Medical facilities are very limited. Pharmacies in Malabo and Bata stock basic medicines including antibiotics, but cannot becounted on to supply advanced medications. Outside of these cities, many medicines are unavailable. You are advised to carry a supply of properly-labeled prescription drugs and other medications that you require for your entire stay; an adequate supply of prescription or over-the-counter drugs in local stores or pharmacies is generally not available. The sanitation levels in hospitals are very low, except for the new La Paz Hospitals in Bata and Malabo, which meet the medical standards of a modern hospital in a developed country. Doctors and hospitals often require immediate payment for health services, and patients are sometimes expected to supply their own bandages, linen, and toiletries.

Malaria is a serious and sometimes fatal disease. The national government, along with international oil companies in the country, has taken aggressive steps to control the mosquito population and limit the impact of malaria on the population centers in Malabo and Bata. Plasmodium falciparum malaria, the type that predominates in Equatorial Guinea, is resistant to the anti-malarial drug chloroquine. Travelers to the country are at high risk for contracting malaria; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advise that you take one of the following anti-malarial drugs: mefloquine,doxycycline, or atovaquone/proguanil (Malarone™). If you become ill with a fever or flu-like illness while traveling in a malaria-risk area, and up to one year after returning home, you should seek prompt medical attention and tell your physician your travel history and what anti-malarials you have been taking. Visit the CDC's Travelers' Health page for additional information on malaria, including protective measures.

There are periodic outbreaks of cholera in Equatorial Guinea. Yellow fever can cause serious medical problems, but the vaccine, required for entry, is very effective in preventing the disease. Tuberculosis is an increasingly serious health concern in Equatorial Guinea. For further information, please consult the CDC's information on TB.

Many insect-borne illnesses are present. Insect precautions are encouraged at all times. Avoid non-chlorinated freshwater contact on the mainland to lessen the risk of Schistosomiasis.

Drinking Water Source - % of rural population improved

41.6%

Drinking Water Source - % of total population unimproved

49.1%

Drinking Water Source - % of urban population improved

65.5%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

5%

Hospital Bed Density - beds/1,000 population

2.1

People Living with HIV/AIDS

20,000

Physicians Density - physicians/1,000 population

.3

Sanitation Facility Access - % of total population unimproved

11.1%

Sanitation Facility Access - % of urban population improved

92.2%

Sanitation Facility Access - % of rural population improved

86.8%

Infectious Diseases - degree of risk

very high

Animal Contact Disease (s)

rabies

Food or Waterborne Disease (s)

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

Vectorborne Disease (s)

malaria and dengue fever

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