Travellers who are visiting friends and relatives (known as VFR travellers) face unique health challenges. A VFR traveller is someone who resides in one country and returns to their home country (often a lower-income country than the one they reside in) to visit friends or relatives. VFR travellers are likely to bring their children or spouses, who may have been born in the country of residence.
Compared to other travellers, VFR travellers have a higher likelihood of exposure to preventable infectious diseases such as Hepatitis A, Typhoid, Malaria, Dengue and Tuberculosis because they are more likely to travel to destinations with a higher risk of infectious diseases. They may also stay for longer periods of time, stay in local homes and visit remote areas, and may not be aware of the need to take travel health precautions such as food and water safety and mosquito bite prevention.
If you are planning to travel overseas to visit friends and relatives, the following tip sheets can help you and your family prepare. Before your trip, book an appointment with your doctor or a travel medicine specialist to get personalized advice on staying healthy during your trip.
The above resources can be used during consultation with VFR travellers. For more information on VFR travellers and how to provide pre-travel consultation to VFR travellers, see the following guide:
When you have reached the point where you no longer expect a response, you will at last be able to give in such a way that the other is able to receive and be grateful. - Dag Hammarskjöld
