Abuja - 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?
Malaria, stomach upsets, parasites. There's always someone out sick with some kind of ailment. You'd typically be medevaced for anything requiring anything approaching surgery, unless everything happened too fast to get you on a plane. That said, the local Turkish hospital is pretty decent. They took good care of colleagues with appendicitis, and I trusted them for a minor superficial surgery because I'm cheap and didn't want to pay $5K for it in the States. - Jun 2024
The medical staff at the Embassy is great. If they send you to a local place for X-rays, CTs, or other exams, trust your gut. I left one facility once because I didn't feel comfortable after I saw a male nurse leave the bathroom with surgical gloves on and handling equipment after that. Keep your eyes open, and leave if you don't feel comfortable. A good place for above mentioned exams is the Turkish hospital (Nizamiye Hospital). It is modern, clean, and the staff is diligent and seems well-trained. - Sep 2019
Malaria. Food poisioning. 'Buj belly'. That's about it. Med unit has most things covered. If you're not with the Embassy, I think outside health care would be dicey. The hospital looks like a place you would go to die. Try the med unit at the Hilton. Anything serious is med evaced. If you're not Embassy, make sure you have the necessary health emergency service coverage. - Feb 2019
Anything serious you are medavaced to London. The health unit is good, but local facilities are lacking. - Apr 2018
Malaria, dengue, and bacterial/parasitic infections are common, and anti-malarial medicine is mandatory. The med unit can handle basic care, and will medically evacuate you to South Africa or the U.K. for more serious issues. - Apr 2017
Malaria. Embassy health care is good and responsive. - Jun 2016
Lots! (see malaria earlier). Basic medical care is available through the Health Unit and Abuja Clinic. Anything they can't handle means a MEDEVAC to London or Johannesburg. - Aug 2015
Plenty! Don't drink the water; wash everything before you prepare food; be aware of public urination and defecation (every body of water seems like an open sewer); there is never ending smoke from burning trash piles; trash and garbage everywhere; and there's heavy dust in the air during Harmattan season. This is a malaria post. There have been a few cases of Mission employees getting malaria, even if they are taking the preventive meds. There is always the danger of Ebola. The embassy has a Med Unit, but anything that requires any real attention will be sent to London. There are clinics here, but are advised to avoid, unless it is an emergency. - Jun 2015
There is a medical unit at the Embassy but nothing outside for treatment. Most folks who get really sick, get medevaced, either to South Africa or London. - Nov 2014
Ebola, malaria, etc. Medical care is available at the Embassy. - Aug 2014
Very little local quality care. Embassies provide for their own and USG medevacs to London for anything but the most routine case. - May 2014
Yes, and the quality of medical care is very, very low. - May 2013
The medical unit at the embassy is very good. Amongst the usual accoutrement of medical issues in the developing world, malaria is the big concern in Abuja. - Jun 2009
Local medical care is not good, but our nurse practitioner is fantastic and has gone out of her way to help my family during a visit. - Sep 2008
Lots of health concerns. Anything from the usual stomach trouble you find anywhere in the Third World to malaria, bizarre infections, mango flies (the ones that burrow into your skin -- a nurse I know said she pulls them out of people all the time, but I haven't known any embassy folks to get them; Embassy pets have). A word on malaria -- most expats take prophylaxis. I don't, and neither do a lot of people. Expats do get malaria, but Abuja really isn't that mosquito-y and to me the side effects of the medicine weren't worth it. There are no dentists. Pretty much anything more serious than a sore throat needs to be treated somewhere else. - Aug 2008
Malaria and poor sanitation are the big concerns. Wash your vegetables in Milton wash or bleach, don't drink the water, and take your malaria prophylaxis and for the most part you'll be fine. Nearly everyone deals with some stomach problems at one point or another so have some tums or pepto bismal on hand. The medical unit in the embassy is adequate for minor things, but anything major gets you medevac'd to London or South Africa. - Jul 2008
