Backpacking Travel: Healthy Travelling

While we may enjoy the odd whinge about our national health system (and rightly so), most Australians recognise that we enjoy better access to a higher quality of healthcare than many countries worldwide.

Accessing healthcare overseas can be a bit of a lucky dip. In my own experience, getting good advice can be a convoluted and costly process. For example, a Peruvian doctor once told me I'd caught a particularly nasty skin ailment 'from the Bolivians' and that simply being in Peru would be enough to cure it. A second doctor blamed bloodthirsty jungle insects. Luckily, a third gave me a shot in the bum and told me I needed rest and better hygiene (for the record, extenuating circumstances had led to my lapse in cleanliness). At the end of the ordeal I'd probably spent around five hundred dollars on advice and treatments, both useful and otherwise. While this wouldn't send most backpackers broke, it could have been a whole lot worse.

According to the Australian government's 'smart traveller' website, one day in a South-East Asian hospital can set you back a cool $800, while the cost of medical evacuations from the US regularly reaches $75,000 and can sometimes be as much as $300,000 (and there's no Medicare to help foot the bill).

It's not nice to think about getting sick on holidays. But if you haven't factored an extra three hundred grand into your travel budget, it's worth taking a few measures to safeguard your health and your hip pocket.

The first and most obvious thing to do is to get travel insurance. Not only can this provide security in an emergency, but it can help you get the best advice and treatment available for minor ailments. When you choose a policy, make sure it covers all countries you'll travel to and all adventures you're likely to partake in. If anything, ensure at a basic level that your health is covered, including cover for pre existing medical conditions.  Always read through the product disclosure booklet. Read it over carefully so you understand what it is you are covered for. Factoring this in can save you from the worst case scenario of taking out a second mortgage to finance mishaps from your travels.

Before you leave, take a trip to your doctor for a general check up and vaccinations. It's best to do this a good couple of months before your departure date to ensure you can complete all vaccinations, as some require two or three shots. Ask your doctor to provide prescriptions for any common ailments you suffer as it might be hard to find the medications you need overseas. If you have any severe allergies or conditions it's worthwhile investing in a medical bracelet.

A visit to the dentist is also recommended. They sell wooden teeth in the markets in Morocco, which gives you some idea of the level of dental care available. Best to fill any cavities here in Australia, where at least you get to keep most of your tooth.

There's only so much you can do at home to safeguard your health. The rest happens when you reach your destination. Ensure you take a common sense approach to avoiding illness and infection by steering clear of tap water if it's not safe, wearing thongs in the shower and always practising safe sex. When it comes to safety, again, common sense is the key. Always wear a seatbelt (even if the locals don't) and never be afraid to tell someone they're driving too fast. Assess situations as you would at home and don't think you have a magical safety suit on just because you're overseas.
It's unfortunate that our pampered western bodies can go belly up at even the smallest microbe and that adventurous activities tend to put us in peril. But by taking precautions and having a plan in place for if something does go wrong, you can afford the luxury of not worrying about getting sick.