As an aid or humanitarian worker, you travel to dangerous places, often in remote locations, to do a stressful job. You need to take care of yourself to ensure you can give the best service to the people you are helping. Here are some tips.
1. Get your shots
The travel health nurses at Global Travel Clinics will take the time to understand your itinerary and the challenges you will be facing. They will check that your routine boosters are up to date.
Healthcare workers are at additional risk of hepatitis B from needlestick injuries, so you may be offered this shot. And if you are in a remote area or rescuing animals you may be offered a shot against rabies.
We’d like you to come and see us at one of our travel clinics, six to eight weeks before you depart. However, we know that you may be sent out at short notice. Even if you are close to departure, come and see us anyway, and we’ll do our best to help you out.
2. Get in-depth health advice
You may also need to see your GP or your specialist if you need more advice on managing a long-term condition while you are on assignment. You may, for example, need extra supplies of your normal medications, or guidance on how stress, altitude or heat could affect your condition.
A check-up with your dentist is a good idea, too – this will pick up any problems with your teeth. Toothache can be agonising at the best of times and it will make your life very difficult indeed if you are in a remote area with no access to a dentist.
The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has comprehensive advice for humanitarian aid workers.
3. Follow the rules
The organisation that is running your mission will have some guidelines and equipment lists to keep you safe. They are there for your safety, so you should pay close attention to them.
In particular, obey rules about reporting your own illnesses – a fever or a flu-like illness in a malarious area should never be dismissed as ‘just a cold’, for example.
4. Support your immune system
Eat and drink well, protect your sleep and take your rest days: this will keep your immune system working and protect you from infections.
Your mental health also has a bearing on your wellbeing: take up offers of counselling and lean on your support network.
5. Prevent accidents
Take it slowly at first: get to know your surroundings and the hazards you face. Accidents such as slips and trips are more likely to occur in an environment that is new to you, particularly if you are rushing.
6. Beat the bugs
Avoiding insect bites is a key tactic for avoiding disease in many parts of the world. Discuss your itinerary with your travel health adviser to work out if you need a regime of anti-malarials. You should also practise mosquito avoidance if Dengue fever, Zika and yellow fever occur where you are staying, and there may be other more localised nasties to dodge, too. Ask your travel health adviser, and take advice from your organisation. Read more about avoiding Insect-borne illnesses.
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