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Equatorial Guinea Expat Health Insurance

Equatorial Guinea, officially known as the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, is a small Spanish and French speaking nation located in Western Central Africa. It shares its borders with Cameroon, Gabon and the Gulf of Guinea and includes five small islands. It was formerly a Spanish colony until it gained independence in 1968. The small nation is a tropical country with hot and humid weather and an estimated population of approximately 670,000 people.

The country is a wealthy one following the discovery of petroleum in 1996; previously it earned its revenue from cocoa production. Unfortunately the Government of Equatorial Guinea is very corrupt and therefore the wealth is not evenly distributed amongst the people, leaving 70 percent of the nation living below the United Nations poverty threshold. This small nation offers something for everyone, from pristine white sand beaches, rainforests full of endangered species and buckets full of traditional culture. Travellers to Equatorial Guinea are rare, with women drawing a lot of attention from the male oil workers, particularly in the city of Malabo. If travelling to Equatorial Guinea, visitors must ensure that that they have a visa to enter the country (except Americans who do not need a visa), a permit to take photographs issued by the Ministry of Information and Tourism, and evidence that they have been vaccinated against yellow fever.

Landline telephones are not readily available in Equatorial Guinea as there is only 1 line available for every 50 people. However, the country does have one mobile phone operator, Orange, with approximately 70 percent of the nation subscribing to the mobile phone service. Travellers should ensure that they have a mobile phone with them while travelling in Equatorial Guinea in case a landline is not available and an emergency occurs. It is very common for travellers, while driving on the roads, to be stopped by non uniformed officers and advised that they have violated the local motor vehicle regulations in order to extort bribes. Travellers should ensure that they do not pay the bribe and request that the officer issue a ticket to be paid at the local court or a receipt specifying the infringement which is said to have occurred.

Equatorial Guinea Healthcare System

Travellers to Equatorial Guinea are at risk of contracting malaria, and should take anti malarial medications to ensure that they do not contract the disease. The country has put in place programs to reduce the rate of malaria infections. These programs have proven to be very effective with the number of fatalities being reduced across Equatorial Guinea. The programmes include twice yearly indoor residual spraying and the use of long lasting insecticide treatment mosquito nets.

Visitors to Equatorial Guinea should also take precautions to ensure that they do not contract diarrhoea from food and water. They should also keep their childhood vaccinations (polio, measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) and tetanus etc) up to date, and ensure that they are vaccinated against hepatitis A, hepatitis B, typhoid fever, yellow fever and rabies (if they intend on spending time outdoors or residing in Equatorial Guinea). As the yellow fever vaccination is not approved for use in children of less than 9 months, it is not recommended that young children travel to Equatorial Guinea as they risk contracting the disease and may not be allowed entry into the country.

Travellers should take steps to prevent themselves from being bitten by insects who can spread numerous diseases including dengue fever, filariasis, leishmaniasis, onchocerciasis (river blindness) and African trypanosomiasis (African sleeping sickness). All water and milk (as milk is normally unpasteurized when purchased locally) should be boiled before drinking it. If possible tinned or powered milk should be consumed rather than fresh milk.

The health care system in Equatorial Guinea is conducted under the supervision of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. Currently the majority of the medical facilities in Equatorial Guinea are extremely limited, with poor sanitation prevalent at most clinics. Shortages of medications and essential medical supplies are frequent. The pharmacies in the cities of Malabo and Bata stock basic medications, however many medications are not available outside of these cities. Therefore, travellers should ensure that they bring sufficient prescription medication with them and other supplies that they may require such as an antibiotic, an anti diarrhoeal drug, insect repellent containing DEET, bandages etc (as medical facilities often require patients to provide their own bandages, linen and toiletries).

The majority of medical facilities often will not accept payment from a traveller’s health insurance provider directly. Travellers therefore need to ensure that they have sufficient funds in the way of cash or credit card to pay for any treatment they may require and then seek reimbursement from their international health insurance provider. In some cases, however, it may be possible to arrange direct settlements with Equatorial Guinean hospitals, but this will vary by insurance company.

A new hospital called La Paz hospital has been built containing modern medical equipment, close to 130 beds, and is staffed by Israelis. The hospital was recently opened in 2010 in the city of Bata. The facility has been said to be one of the most sophisticated hospitals in West Africa. Unlike the rest of the medical facilities in Equatorial Guinea, this hospital has European sanitation standards and has been reported by the Red Cross as being the best medical facility in the region. A second La Paz hospital will be constructed shortly in the city of Malabo; in the meantime the current hospital in Malabo is undergoing renovations.

The construction of these new medical facilities is part of the Government’s initiative to promote improved health care in Equatorial Guinea. The La Paz hospital is a joint venture between the Government of Equatorial Guinea and Medical Services International Inc. The facility operates under the guidance of Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer, Israel's national medical centre and the most comprehensive medical centre in the Middle East.

Equatorial Guinea Expat Health Insurance

Sadly for the average citizen of Equatorial Guinea, access to the La Paz hospital is not available as the cost of a hospital bed for the night is the equivalent of two and half months salary. In 2011 only 0.52 percent of the Government’s annual budget was dedicated to healthcare; commentators believe that this needs to increase to at least 5 percent in the future. Equatorial Guinea is still a long way from having Western style medical facilities available to all of its citizens at an affordable cost.

Most medical facilities in Equatorial Guinea are limited in the resources and level of care they can provide, meaning that travelers or foreign expats may require expensive medical transportation to a capable medical facility in a medical emergency which will probably be outside of Equatorial Guinea. Expat health insurance plans can provide coverage in cases like this, ensuring that you are not stuck with the large bill that medical emergency transportation and international hospital treatment entails.

Global Health Insurance can assist you with choosing a health insurance provider from the many international providers that we work with, should you choose to travel to Equatorial Guinea. Expat health insurance can provide you and your family with the peace of mind that you will be covered for emergency evacuation and a high standard of medical treatment if the need arises. Please contact one of our advisors today for a free international health insurance quotation.