How to climb Kilimanjaro and stay healthy

The illness with the biggest risk for most travellers to Tanzania is malaria., which can be lethal. Fortunately, there is preventative medication which you can take to protect against the risk of malaria contraction.

Besides malaria, there are also other mosquito-borne viral infections, such as dengue and chikungunya, for which there is no preventative medication. While chikungunya is rarely life-threatening, dengue can potentially be very dangerous.

Travellers diarrhoea is another common ailment that people can get while traveling overseas.

Furthermore, both Filariasis and Schistosomiasis are common illnesses in Tanzania, but the risk of infection is low during a short visit.

Malaria is endemic in Tanzania and the risk of contraction is high. There are numerous varieties of malaria, but falciparum malaria is the disease's most dangerous and potentially lethal form, and this strain of malaria in Tanzania is widespread. A bite from an infected mosquito is all it takes to get infected. Infection rates are at their highest during the rainy season. Contracting malaria can cause serious illness and even death, so it is important to take precautions such as preventative medication.

We strongly recommend taking anti-malarials preventatively. We suggest you consult your physician to decide which drug could work best for you. Besides medication, the single best precaution to protect yourself against contracting malaria is by preventing mosquito bites.

Mosquitos that are responsible for transmitting malaria are most active during dusk and dawn. In general, it's recommended to stay indoors at this time. If your room has no air-conditioning or isn't well-screened, it's best to sleep under a mosquito net.

If you are outside when mosquitos are most active, you can protect yourself by wearing long-sleeved shirts, long pants and a hat in a very light colour. Apply insect repellent to all exposed skin, but not under your clothes, and wear clothes that are treated with permethrin. Also, burn mosquito coils when you are sitting outside.

You can choose to only use mosquito repellent at this dawn or dusk, but you can also use it throughout the day. This way you protect yourself against different types of mosquitos that are active during the day. Among them are mosquitos that carry yellow fever and dengue fever.

If you feel ill with flu-like symptoms, it's important to seek professional medical help right away.

We cannot make recommendations as to particular anti-malarial substances or brands. Most doctors and health care providers who have worked with malaria in Tanzania recommend a course of medications like Mefloquine hydrochloride, atovaquone-proguanil or antibiotics like Doxycycline prior to your departure for Tanzania.

It is important that you check with your physician for the best drug and correct dosage depending on your personal situation. Your doctor should have experience with malaria and keep up-to-date about the latest developments as drug-resistance patterns of malaria viruses are changing rapidly.

There is a high risk of mosquito-borne infections like malaria and dengue in Tanzania. Therefore, using DEET is a necessity. Globally, DEET is recognised as the most effective broad-spectrum insect repellent. It protects against mosquitos but also against ticks, biting flies and fleas. Avoiding mosquito bites is the best protection after all.

DEET is available in different concentrations ranging from 20 % to 50 %. The duration of protection varies accordingly with a 50% concentration lasting up to 12 hours. Higher concentrations do not increase the length of the protection.

Keep in mind, however, that you have to reapply it sooner when you are sweating. And, when using it in combination with sunscreen, you have to apply it after your sunscreen. DEET may decrease the SPF so it's recommended to use it with a higher SPF than you would typically use.

The most effective insect repellents for clothing, shoes, bed nets and other gear contain permethrin. It's a compelling product that kills mosquitos, but also ticks and other insects.

You can buy permethrin-treated clothes and gear, or you can apply permethrin as a spray on your clothes. In this case, protection will usually last up to 6 hours.

You can even wash permethrin-treated clothing and gear multiple times without decreasing its effectiveness.

It's possible to use permethrin on your clothes in combination with DEET on your skin.

Travel insurance is essential for all trips, and especially for activities with increased physical and financial risk such as Kilimanjaro climbs. In the interest of your own safety and budget, good operators and agencies typically make travel insurance mandatory for you to participate in their climbs. For the same reason travel insurance is also mandatory for all trips booked with Fair Voyage.

To protect your financial investment in case of cancellation due to illness or other unforeseen changes, it is best to take out your insurance (that should cover cancellations) as soon as you've booked your climb.

Check out the travel insurance by World Nomads for Kilimanjaro climbs. They offer good coverage at affordable prices for short trips worldwide and cover high altitude trekking as applicable for standard Kilimanjaro climbs. We also like World Nomads' ethos, focused on helping conscious travelers explore the world safely and responsibly.

You can easily apply for your travel insurance online. It only takes a few minutes:

Disclaimer: We receive an affiliate fee when you get a quote from World Nomads using this link. We do not represent World Nomads. This is information only and not a recommendation to buy travel insurance from World Nomads.