Health and Medical Care in Ethiopia

Updated October 2026. This page is general travel information, not medical advice. See a travel clinic or your doctor six to eight weeks before you leave.

Altitude, food, water and sun exposure cause many of the health problems travellers encounter in Ethiopia. A few precautions before and during the trip can reduce the risk, while suitable insurance is important if you need treatment or evacuation.

Before you go

• Yellow fever. Ethiopia requires a yellow fever vaccination certificate from travellers arriving from a country with a risk of yellow fever, including some who transit through one. Vaccination is also recommended for many travellers to Ethiopia. Ask a travel clinic to check the current rule for your route, and keep the certificate with your passport. See after arrival for more information.
• Routine and travel vaccines. Make sure tetanus, diphtheria, polio and measles are up to date. Travel clinics commonly also discuss hepatitis A, typhoid, hepatitis B, rabies and meningitis, depending on your plans.
• Malaria. Addis Ababa and most of the high plateau are too high for malaria to be common, but there is a risk in lowland areas, roughly below 2,500 metres, including parts of the Rift Valley, the south and the west. Ask a travel clinic whether you need tablets for your route.
• Travel insurance. Choose a policy that covers medical evacuation. Serious care outside Addis Ababa is limited, and getting to a good hospital may mean a flight.
• A small medical kit. Pack your regular medicines with their prescriptions, oral rehydration salts, a diarrhoea remedy, painkillers, plasters, antiseptic, insect repellent, sunscreen and hand sanitiser.

Altitude

Addis Ababa sits at about 2,355 metres and is one of the world’s highest capitals. The Simien and Bale Mountains rise above 4,000 metres. During their first few days at altitude, many people become breathless on stairs, sleep badly or develop headaches.

• Take it easy on days one and two. Plan a gentle first day, such as visiting a museum or attending a coffee ceremony.
• Drink plenty of water and go light on alcohol at first.
• On treks, climb gradually. If headaches, nausea or dizziness get worse as you climb, go down.

Food and water

• Drink bottled or properly filtered water, and use it for brushing teeth if your stomach is sensitive.
• Freshly cooked, hot food is the safest choice. Be cautious with salads, raw meat dishes such as kitfo and gored gored, and unpasteurised milk. Ethiopian dishes to try first explains how to order kitfo cooked.
• Wash your hands before eating, especially as meals are eaten by hand from a shared plate.
• If you get diarrhoea, rest, drink oral rehydration salts and see a doctor if it is severe, bloody or lasts more than a couple of days.

Sun and heat

The highland sun is strong even when the air feels cool. Use sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses. Heat is extreme in the lowlands, particularly the Danakil Depression. Travel during the cooler months, drink plenty of water and follow your guide’s advice.

Animals and insects

• Avoid touching dogs, cats and monkeys. Rabies exists in Ethiopia; if you are bitten or scratched, wash the wound with soap and water for 15 minutes and get medical help the same day.
• Use repellent in the evenings in lowland areas, both for malaria and other insect-borne illnesses.
• Avoid swimming in still fresh water unless locals tell you it is safe; bilharzia is present in some lakes and rivers.

If you need medical care

Addis Ababa has private hospitals and clinics used by visitors and residents. Your hotel or embassy can recommend one. Pharmacies are common in towns and sell many medicines over the counter, but bring enough of your prescription medicine for the entire trip. Facilities outside the capital are basic, so insurance should include evacuation cover.

Before you fly, see the full before you go checklist, and check your government’s current travel advice for Ethiopia.