Health Office

 

For Medical Care for your family ICS recommends:

• Suisse Clinic -+251 11 416 1649
• Nordic Medical Centre – 0960 135 024
• Silk Rd. Hospital –+251 936 610666 (Amharic/English), www.silkroadhospitaladdis.com
  1. This is a newer facility that we are still evaluating.

If you every have any medical questions regarding a physician recommendation you can call or email the health office

• Addis Cardiac Hospital: 0116 180 709 / 0116 634 472/40/41
• Cure Hospital-Orthopedics: 0111 245 404 / 0111 227 565  By appointment ONLY
• Korean Hospital: 0116 294 602 / 0922 366 401
• Landmark: 0115 525 719 / 0115 525 463  Specializes in heart care and neurology
• Saint Yared Hospital: 0911 717 109   Head Nurse: 0911 473 309

• Gishen Pharmacy: 0911 724 774 (Haile Gebreselassie Road)
• Lidet Pharmacy: 0118 114 141/2
• Lion Pharmacy: 0111 551 893 (On Churchill Road)
• Old Airport Pharmacy: 0113 719 090 (Victory Road near ICS)
• Pelica Pharmacy: 0116 613 420 / 0911 372 242 (Bole Road)

Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds to help prevent germs from spreading. Also avoid touching your eyes,  when your hands touch surfaces that are infested with germs.nose and mouth because a virus can spread.

If your child is experiencing any flu symptoms, fever or is throwing up, keep him/her home. This will help him/her to recover faster and will help prevent spreading illness to others.

Your child can come back to school when they have been without fever and medications for 24 hours.

Mind Your Manners

Cough and sneeze into your elbow or cough and sneeze into a tissue and throw away the used tissue immediately.

What's Mine is Mine, What's Yours is Yours

Don't allow your child to share drinks, water bottles, comb/hairbrushes, eating utensils or cell phones with friends.

General practices:

• Drink lots of water! Aim for 2-3 liters a day

• Drink bottled or filtered water. DO NOT DRINK TAP WATER and be sure that ice cubes in your drink were made for potable water

• Avoid eating raw meat and raw salads in restaurants.  As much as possible, eat well-cooked meat.

• Fruits and vegetables should be cleaned with sanitizing solution before eating or any bleach solution (locally called berekina).

• Know the sources of ice cream and mayonnaise.  They can become sources of diarrheal diseases.

• Amoebas, typhoid, worms and stomach parasites are common infections when precautions are not take in food handling and hand washing.

• Remember that local money is very dirty.  Be sure to wash your hands after handling.

• Sun protection is highly recommended at all times.  At high altitude the sun is much stronger and leads to sunburn very fast.  When outdoors, always wear brimmed hats and sun protection.  Sunscreen of SPF 50 or more.

• Wash your hands often to help prevent the spread of infectious diseases. Handwipes and hand sanitizers are useful.

Addis Ababa is at 8,000 feet/2,500 meters above sea level. Therefore, there is a risk of altitude sickness.

Symptoms of altitude sickness include:

• shortness of breath
• nausea
• increased fatigue
• difficulty sleeping
• nose bleeds
• headaches
• dizziness
• dry skin
• welling of hands and feet

There are a number of preventive measures that can be taken to avoid altitude sickness.  These include:

• Drinking lots of water, staying hydrated.  Drink 2-3 liters of filtered or bottled water daily. Avoid drinking coffee, tea or juice. DO NOT DRINK TAP WATER.
• Reduce your salt intake
• Allow your body adequate time to rest and acclimate
• Recovery from respiratory/seasonal problems need to resume slowly or as your body allows

Dehydration is a concern.  You must stay hydrated.

Signs of dehydration include:

• flushed face
• dry skin
• dry mucous membranes and lips
• constipation and/or bloating
• fatigue
• dizziness/light headedness
• muscle cramping
• headache
• hot hands and feet
• problems concentrating
• drowsiness
• fainting

If not adequately hydrated, it can lead to sore throat, fever and upper respiratory problems.

Drink water before you get thirsty.  If you wait until you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated.

Sun and Heat Exhaustion

The high altitude of Ethiopia can rapidly lead to sunburn.  Remember that you can burn even on a cloudy day.  Heat exhaustion usually affects people who are not acclimatized to hot conditions.

Early symptoms of heat exhaustion include:

• headache
• dizziness
• confusion
• nausea
• loss of appetite
• excessive sweating
• paleness
• clammy skin
• muscle cramps
• rapid, weakening pulse and breathing

Be sure to protect yourself from the sun and to cool your body down.

 

How do tell the difference between a cold and the flu?

If you have a stuffy nose, sore throat, hacking cough and are sneezing, you probably have a COLD.

• Often cold symptoms come on gradually.  Although the common cold is usually not too severe, it's a good idea to keep your child home to rest and get better.

If you have a high fever, severe headache, muscle and body aches, extreme tiredness and a dry cough, you probably have the FLU.

• If your child is sick with these symptoms and you think that he/she has the flu, please keep your child at home and consult a doctor.

To help relieve cold and flu symptoms a helpful home remedy is to steam frequently with warm salt water or a VaporRub, gargle with warm salt water and of course drink plenty of hot liquids.

This is a common cause of illness among newcomers. Most episodes are mild, of short duration and resolve spontaneously.

 Almost all cases of diarrhea are caused by viruses (e.g.norovirus and rotavirus) or certain types of bacteria (e.g. E.Coli) and these typically produce watery diarrhea. Usually the symptoms get better within 1-3 days. Drink plenty of fluids - preferably water. Avoid fatty foods and meat. Opt for clear vegetable soup, broth, fruits and rice water.

 Diarrhea causes the body to loose vital fluids and salts, particularly if combined with vomiting. Supportive treatment with a rehydration fluid containing salt and glucose is helpful. A pre-packed Oral Rehydration Drink (ORS) is available in pharmacies known as “Lem Lem”or you may prepare your own:

Home-Made Re-hydration Drink with SUGAR and SALT.

In 1 liter of clean Water

• add 1/2 of a level teaspoon of Salt
• and 8 level teaspoons of Sugar.
• Before adding the sugar, taste the drink and be sure it is less salty than tears.
• To give the drink more flavor you can add half a cup of fruit juice or mashed ripe bananas into the drink.

Give the dehydrated person sips of this drink every 5 minutes, if necessary day and night until he/she urinates normally. Continue to do so even if vomiting is present as not all of the drink will be vomited.

 

Dysentry is a type of diarrhea which needs medical attention. The organism penetrates the bowel wall, causing blood in the stool. Dysentry typically is associated with fever and abdominal pain. The most common causes include a bacteria called shigella and a parasite called entamoeba histiolytica. Dysentry typically requires treatment with either an antibiotic like Ciprofloxacin or medicine such as Metronidazole or Trinidazole. These medicines need to be prescribed by a physician.

Giardiasis, is another common cause of diarrhea in Ethiopia. Gardia can cause many different symptoms. Some people can have it and be asymptomatic while others can be quite ill with nausea, watery diarrhea, gas and even vomiting and fever. Many people will have low-level chronic symptoms such as burping weight loss, fatigue, loose stool but not diarrhea. Gardia can be diagnosed using a number of stool tests.

Worms, are common in Ethiopia and symptoms can be quite varied. Most people with worms remain without symptoms, but worms also can cause some vague problems like mild diarrhea, loss of appetite, nausea, and fatigue. Diagnosis can be made by stool examination, but diagnosis can be sometimes difficult since the worms or eggs are not always shed in the stool.

There is Malaria in Ethiopia

When traveling to other areas outside of Addis, where the altitude is lower malaria is prevalent.

Malaria Prevention

The best way to avoid bites from the Anopheles mosuito is by wearing long selleves and pants at down and dusk, wearing insect repleent, using mosquito nets and spraing indoors at down and dusk.

Anti-malaria medication is also useful.  However, one must remember that they are not 100% effictive.  People can still get malaria even when taking the medication.

The following medication is recommend for preventing malaria.  They must all be taken with food to avoid stomach ache and side effects.

• Doxycyline: This is the cheapest option and is available locally. This drug is given daily starting 2 days before travel and continued for 4 weeks after return.  
• Malarone: This drug is taken 1-2 days before traveling and to be continued daily during the trip and for 7 days after return.
• Mefloquine (Lariam): Some people would rather take medicine weekly. Good choice for long trips, it is taken only weekly. Start 2 weeks prior to travel and continue 4 weeks after travel. Mefloquine is available locally.

BE SURE TO CONSULT WITH A DOCTOR BEFORE TAKING ANY MEDICATIONS.

Rabies is common in Ethiopia and many animals are capable of carrying the disease. The vast majority of rabies exposure come from dogs, but monkeys, cats, bats, hyenas, foxes and humans have also been a source of rabies in Ethiopia. It has been estimated that there are 15 human deaths each year from rabies in Ethiopia but the number may be underestimated as cases in rural areas may not be reported.

Avoid petting stray animals. If bitten, immediately wash any wound and/or scratches with soap and water.  If you have an iodine solution you could use that also for cleaning the wound, as it kills viruses.

SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION IMMEDIATELY

If you have not received the rabies vaccine, you will need rabies immunoglobulin and a series of five injections. The immunoglobulin is very expensive ($3000USD) and is not available in Ethiopia at this time.