Zambia

General Map

Medical Summary

The health risk information presented here is summarized from Shoreland Travax^®, a decision-support tool used by health care providers to perform a detailed health risk analysis based on specific locations, individual travel styles, and traveler risk behaviors. Travax provides practitioners current, independently researched malaria risk and prevention recommendations in a map-based format that goes beyond the annual WHO and US CDC statements included here. Not included here are current reports from Travax of disease outbreaks or environmental events that may pose elevated risks to travelers’ health and safety. The Providers section of this site offers a directory of health care providers who utilize Shoreland Travax for travel health counseling. Learn more about the detailed reports and maps available from these practitioners (includes links to samples).

General Information

Zambia is a developing nation classified as lower middle income. Located in southern Africa (east of Angola and west of Malawi), the climate classifications range from humid equatorial (long dry season) in the north to dry (semi arid) in the south.

Vaccinations

Routine vaccinations are essential due to a persistent rise of vaccine-preventable diseases (especially markedly high rates of diphtheria, pertussis, and measles) globally. Prior to travel, travelers should be up-to-date with the age-appropriate routine vaccinations recommended by their home country, which may include: COVID-19; H. influenzae type B (Hib); hepatitis A; hepatitis B; herpes zoster; human papillomavirus; influenza; measles, mumps, rubella; meningococcal; pneumococcal; polio; rotavirus; tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (Tdap preferred; consider an early pertussis booster for high-risk travelers); varicella.

Yellow Fever

An official yellow fever vaccination certificate may be required depending on your itinerary. Vaccination is usually recommended if you’ll be traveling in areas where there is risk of yellow fever transmission.

Requirement: A certificate proving yellow fever vaccination is required for travelers aged ≥ 1 year coming from countries with risk of YF transmission. This also applies to airport transit stops (no exit through immigration checkpoint) longer than 12 hours in risk countries. Note: Reports indicate that Zambia may sporadically require proof of YF vaccination for travelers coming from nonrisk countries as well as all travelers departing Zambia, despite Zambia's published declaration to the contrary under the International Health Regulations.

Other Vaccines

Depending on your itinerary, your personal risk factors, and the length of your visit, your health care provider may offer you vaccination against chikungunya, cholera, rabies, or typhoid fever.

Malaria

WHO—International Travel and Health (current online update, Country List)

(2018) Malaria risk due predominantly to P. falciparum exists throughout the year in the entire country.

Recommended prevention: C – Risk of P. falciparum malaria, in combination with reported chloroquine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine resistance. Mosquito bite prevention plus atovaquone–proguanil or doxycycline or mefloquine chemoprophylaxis (select according to reported side effects and contraindications) ^a
^aAlternatively, for travel to rural areas with low risk of malaria infection, mosquito bite prevention can be combined with stand–by emergency treatment (SBET).

WHO Country List footnote: When available, the date of the most recent update or confirmation is indicated in parentheses in the country list. If no date is indicated, the most recent update or confirmation was provided before 2013.

CDC—Health Information for International Travel (current online edition)

Areas with malaria: All.

Drug resistance³ : Chloroquine.
Malaria species: P. falciparum >90%, P. vivax up to 5%, P. ovale up to 5%.
Recommended chemoprophylaxis: Atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, mefloquine, or tafenoquine.⁴
³ Refers to P. falciparum malaria unless otherwise noted.
⁴ Primaquine and tafenoquine can cause hemolytic anemia in people with G6PD deficiency. Patients must be screened for G6PD deficiency before starting primaquine or tafenoquine. See Tafenoquine Approved for Malaria Prophylaxis and Treatment for more information.

Other Concerns

Travelers' Diarrhea

High risk exists throughout the country, with moderate risk in deluxe accommodations. Community sanitation and food safety measures are generally inadequate. Some itineraries (e.g., remote destinations, austere accommodations) and activities (e.g., ecotourism, eating street or local-market food) further increase risk.

Travelers should observe food and beverage precautions, which reduce the likelihood of illness.

Travelers should carry loperamide for self-treatment of diarrhea and, if risk is moderate to high, an antibiotic to add if diarrhea is severe. Consult a knowledgeable health care provider regarding which antibiotic is appropriate for you and most effective for your destination.

Other Food-Borne Illnesses

Precautions to prevent brucellosis may be needed.

Insect- and Arthropod-Borne Diseases

African trypanosomiasis, tick-bite fever, West Nile virus, Zika may pose a risk. Personal protective measures are important.

Other Disease and Health Risks

Additional concerns include anthrax disease, helminths, leptospirosis, medication restrictions, plague, schistosomiasis, sexually transmitted infections, snakebites, tuberculosis.

Safety and Security

Key Safety Risks

Road conditions and traffic collisions
Public transportation
Petty crime
Heightened crime risk for women
Heightened crime risk for LGBTQ+ travelers
Food and beverage spiking
Theft of vehicles
Scams
Natural disasters

Key Security Threats

Risk of violent protests
Risk of security forces responding to protests with excessive force
Potential spillover of armed conflict
Cross-border threats in areas bordering Democratic Republic of the Congo
Landmines/unexploded ordnance
Occasional violent crime

Emergency Phone Number

The police emergency number is 991.

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