Ethiopia Health & Vaccinations
Malaria and Yellow Fever Requirements
Ethiopia: Health & Vaccinations
While there are good medical facilities in Addis Ababa, outside the capital, services are generally not very good, though private (mission) hospitals do tend to have better trained staff and more advanced drugs and equipment than public hospitals. Make sure you have the latest safety tips from the establishment where you will be staying, and take common sense precautions as you would when travelling elsewhere. Avoid drinking tap water that has not been boiled or disinfected, eating produce that has not been peeled or cooked, and eating food from street vendors. Drink lots of water to avoid heat exhaustion or heat stroke, and make sure to always use insect repellent to avoid contracting insect-borne diseases.
As always, when travelling to any destination, please be sure you are up to date with all routine vaccinations. Commonly recommended vaccinations for travel to Africa include the following: Tetanus, Diphtheria, Polio, Typhoid, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Yellow Fever, Rabies, and Meningitis. Visit your doctor several weeks before your trip to ensure that you have all the vaccines and medications you need.
Malaria Recommendations for Ethiopia
There is a moderate risk of malaria in all areas of Ethiopia that lie below 2,500 m, with the exception of the capital city of Addis Ababa. Therefore, it is recommended you consult your doctor to see whether you should take malaria prophylaxis before entering South Africa. Which tablets you take, and when you start and stop them, depends entirely on the drug your doctor prescribes — the schedules differ significantly between them, so ask a travel clinic rather than following a general rule.
Other prevention methods such as using mosquito repellent and sleeping under a mosquito net are also recommended.
Yellow Fever Vaccination Requirements for Ethiopia
Ethiopia requires a valid yellow fever certificate from all foreign visitors and citizens aged 9 months and over travelling from an infected area or having been in transit through infected areas (>12 hours). This rule applies to travellers from the following countries: Angola, Argentina, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Republic of the Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, French Guyana, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Sudan, Suriname, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, and Venezuela.
However, Ethiopia itself is a yellow fever-endemic country. While yellow fever is not known to occur in the Somali and Afar provinces in the east, it has been known to occur in the rest of the country. If your itinerary will take you out of these eastern, yellow fever-free zones, it is absolutely recommended that you be vaccinated.
Moreover, because Ethiopia is considered an infected area, many countries will require proof of vaccination against yellow fever upon entry for all travellers who have recently been in Ethiopia. If you are travelling directly from Ethiopia to the U.S. or U.K., you will not need the yellow fever vaccination certificate in order to return home, but citizens of other countries should check their respective re-entry requirements.
Ethiopia health and vaccinations: common questions
Do I need a yellow fever certificate to enter Ethiopia?
Only if you are arriving from a country with risk of yellow fever transmission, from age nine months, including airport transits over twelve hours. Under the International Health Regulations the yellow fever certificate has been valid for life since 11 July 2016, and that applies retrospectively to certificates issued before then. No country may demand a booster as a condition of entry. The certificate becomes valid on the tenth day after vaccination. Ethiopia is itself a risk country and the vaccine is recommended for travellers aged nine months and over, except for itineraries limited to the Afar and Somali regions.
Will connecting through Addis Ababa affect the rest of my trip?
Yes, and if you fly Ethiopian Airlines this is the most important thing on this page. Ethiopia is a yellow fever risk country, so anyone connecting through Addis Ababa counts as arriving from a risk country for South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Malawi, Mozambique, Madagascar, Zambia and India. Given how many African itineraries route through Addis, we recommend the certificate for almost any client whose flights touch it — and India’s rule turns on whether you left the transit area rather than on a number of hours.
Is there malaria in Ethiopia?
Below 2,000 metres, yes — the Omo valley, Gambella and the western lowlands are high risk. Addis Ababa and anywhere above 2,000 metres is no risk, which covers the Simien and Bale highlands. CDC uses 2,500 metres as its cut-off rather than 2,000, so there is a genuine divergence in the middle band; a travel clinic should make the call for your specific route. We do not administer or arrange prophylaxis.
Is altitude a problem in Ethiopia?
It is the headline risk, and it is under-anticipated because people do not think of Ethiopia as a mountain destination. Addis sits at around 2,355 metres, so you arrive at altitude straight off a long flight. Simien treks reach over 4,000 metres and Ras Dashen 4,550; the Bale plateau is around 4,000 and gets hail, sleet and near-freezing nights in any month. Building an acclimatisation day into the front of an itinerary is worth more than any equipment you can buy.
What else should I know about health in Ethiopia?
Ethiopia sits in the African meningitis belt, with epidemic risk in the dry season roughly December to June, so meningococcal ACWY is commonly advised. Ethiopia also has one of the world’s higher canine rabies burdens, which makes pre-exposure vaccination a serious conversation rather than a formality. Schistosomiasis is present in the Omo River and the Rift Valley lakes. A clinic will typically cover hepatitis A, typhoid, tetanus, diphtheria, polio and MMR alongside those two. Then the fun part: Timkat falls on 19 January and Meskel on 27 September, and both are bookable to the day — see our guide to the best time to visit Ethiopia.