Sierra Leone
Health
Before you travel check that:聽
- your destination can provide the healthcare you may need聽
- you have appropriate travel insurance for local treatment or unexpected medical evacuation聽
This is particularly important if you have a health condition or are pregnant.听
Emergency medical number聽
Call 117 and ask for an ambulance.听
Ambulance services are unreliable in Freetown and unavailable throughout most of the country. Staff are not usually trained paramedics and often have little or no medical equipment. 聽
Some private hospitals, particularly in Freetown, operate their own commercial ambulances. Injured or seriously ill travellers may need to take a taxi or private vehicle to the nearest major hospital rather than wait for an ambulance.听
Contact your insurance company quickly if you鈥檙e referred to a medical facility for treatment.听
Vaccine recommendations and health risks
At least 8 weeks before your trip:
- check the latest
- see where to get vaccines and whether you have to pay on the
See , including:聽
- yellow fever
- 肠丑辞濒别谤补听
- 尘补濒补谤颈补听
- 谤补产颈别蝉听
Water-borne diseases, including cholera, are endemic in Sierra Leone with outbreaks, particularly during the rainy season, in areas where there is poor sanitation. You should drink or use only boiled or bottled water and avoid ice in drinks.听
As of 2023, UNAIDS estimate that around 77,000 people in Sierra Leone were living with HIV. You should take normal precautions to avoid exposure to HIV/AIDS.听
If you are in Sierra Leone for business, check what medical support your employer can provide if you fall ill.听聽
惭别诲颈肠补迟颈辞苍听
Check with the鈥� that your medication is legal in Sierra Leone.听
The legal status and regulation of some medicines prescribed or bought in the UK can be different in other countries.听
Read .听
Healthcare in Sierra Leone聽
FCDO has a list of medical providers in Sierra Leone.听
Hospitals, medical facilities and services in Sierra Leone are severely limited. The standard of care is much lower than in the UK, including basic services such as blood screening.听Many facilities, particularly outside of Freetown, only accept cash payments.听
Medical supplies are unreliable and limited. Carry basic medical supplies and adequate supplies of prescription medication. Always carry your prescription medication in original packaging, along with your doctor鈥檚 prescription. 聽
Make sure you have adequate travel health insurance and accessible funds to cover the cost of any medical treatment abroad, medical evacuation and repatriation. 聽
Travel and mental health聽
Read FCDO guidance on travel and mental health. There is also .听