Lagos - Post Report Question and Answers
Are there any particular health concerns? What is the quality of available medical care? What medical conditions typically require medical evacuation?
Food-related sickness is very common due to lack of food quality standards. E-coli, cholera, and other issues are common. The diplomats have access to a small in-house medical facility that can provide basic care. If the medical team cannot treat the issue, you are medevaced. - Mar 2024
Malaria and some people have issues with allergies or atshma during the dust season. - Aug 2020
Malaria is endemic. COVID continues to spread and nobody is sure if/when/how it will come under control in Nigeria. Any serious injury or illness would require medevac. Medical care is lacking here, the Health Unit is able to take effectively take care of common issues, but if something requires surgery or inpatient treatment, medevac would be in order. - Jul 2020
There's relatively decent medical care for routine issues, including many specialists. That said, I left post a strong believer in the necessity to be one's own personal health advocate, even at the expense of conflict with the (very nice, but flawed) Med Unit. For example, I was pregnant while in Lagos. Med requested that I redo a blood typing test so they could double check what they had on file. I complied with this, but later realized that the results of the second test provided by their partner lab were inaccurate. That the lab returned an inaccurate result is less concerning to me than that I figured this out myself, months later, and that Med did not. I was lucky (for many reasons) that I did not need a blood transfusion during my pregnancy/while in Lagos, as this simple clerical error could have cost me and/or my child our lives. Be your own advocate! - Jun 2019
There is a good MED unit at Post, but anything serious would likely warrant a medevac to South Africa or the UK. People seem to have had good luck with local doctors, many of whom were trained in the UK or the U.S., but I wouldn't want to need serious medical care here. - Mar 2018
Malaria is prevalent. All sorts of shots are required to come here. Visitors need about $500 - $1000 worth of shots. It's easy to get digestive problems. Everyone has had at least one bout of diarrhea. Medical care is questionable at best. Anyone with more than a minor injury will be medically evacuated. The bottom line is: don't need medical care. - May 2016
Malaria is endemic. There's not a good option for medical here. The embassy had the RMO position moved up to Abuja. A brilliant move since regional travel is centered in Lagos. - Nov 2015
Malaria. Typhoid. Unsafe drinking water. Medical care is very, very, expensive and not reliable. Do not count on an ambulance: the traffic will delay it with hours. - Dec 2011
Medical facilities are poor by western standards, pediatric equipment even worse. No good dentists or orthodontists. - Sep 2008
Threat of malaria, typhoid, I've never been so sick in my life than in the last year here in Nigeria. I was medivac'd due to an issue that they could not resolve here at post. There are two hospital here, but I would not go there for anything. I would not even think about coming here if you have any health issues. - May 2008
