MEDICAL FACILITIES AND HEALTH INFORMATION: Medical facilities in Burma are inadequate for even routine medical care. There are few adequately trained medical personnel. We recommend that you have medevac insurance in case you need to be transported to a regional medical center for emergency care. You can purchase medevac insurance online that will provide for emergency transport should you experience a serious injury or illness. Most foreign drugs on sale in Burma have been smuggled into the country, and many are counterfeit or adulterated and thus unsafe to use. Travelers should bring adequate supplies of their medications for the duration of their stay in Burma. HIV/AIDS is widespread among high-risk populations, such as prostitutes and illegal drug users. Malaria, tuberculosis, hepatitis, and other infectious diseases are endemic in many parts of the country.

In early 2006, throughout 2007, and again in early 2010, brief avian influenza outbreaks resulted in the death of domestic poultry and some wild birds. In December 2007, the World Health Organization and Burmese Ministry of Health confirmed Burma's first case of human infection with the H5N1 avian influenza virus. If you travel to Burma and other South Asian countries affected by avian influenza, we caution you to avoid poultry farms, contact with animals in live food markets, and any other surfaces that appear to be contaminated with feces from poultry or other animals. There were no reported human cases on H5N1 during the 2010 outbreaks.

You can find information on vaccinations and other health precautions, on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website. For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad, consult the World Health Organization (WHO) website. The WHO website also contains additional health information for travelers, including detailed country-specific health information.

MEDICAL INSURANCE: You can’t assume your insurance will go with you when you travel. It’s very important to find out BEFORE you leave. You need to ask your insurance company two questions:

• Does my policy apply when I’m out of the U.S.?
• Will it cover emergencies like a trip to a foreign hospital or an evacuation?

In many places, doctors and hospitals still expect payment in cash at the time of service. Your regular U.S. health insurance may not cover doctors’ and hospital visits in other countries. If your policy doesn’t go with you when you travel, it’s a very good idea to take out another one for your trip.