Colombia Health

Health

Drink only bottled water outside the major cities. The water in major cities is safe. Anywhere else, never get drinks with ice cubes in them, and always make sure that the water you are served in restaurants comes from a bottle (they should open it in front of you). Doing anything else may result in you hugging the crapper for a few days. If you're staying with relatives or friends especially you could ask for boiled water since families are used to having it around. In cities like Bogotá, Manizales or Medellin, the quality of the water is optimum. In Manizales for example, the water, besides being processed, comes from pristine natural sources near a nevado. In Bogotá, the water comes from the high mountains, 3,330 meters above sea level. In the coastal cities you had better watch what you drink in streets or beaches. Colombia has suffered from a terrible reputation as a dangerous and violent country. In the last few years safety has improved greatly. By South American standards Colombia is relatively safe as more and more visitors are discovering. Tourists won´t have any problems moving around in cities, but it pays to think safe, just as you would in any other large metropolitan city. To discover the forest, ask somebody to stay with you. Guerrillas Colombia's ongoing civil war is over 40 years old, but it can't be noticed today; unofficially, its over. An agreement with the government resulted in the disarmament of 80% of the paramilitaries in 2005. Most of them found new jobs in the regular army, which with this greater strength is pushing the remaining guerrillas back along the Pacific coast and into the llanos and the Amazon. Outside these areas you're unlikely to meet either guerrillas or paramilitaries. Police can be found everywhere nowadays, even outside of the city. River police, highway police, newspapers, and fellow travellers can be a useful source of information. (Note that the native pronuciation of guerrilla is "gair-EE-ya", not the yankee "guh-RILL-a".) Crime Major cities in Colombia have low crime rates, just take some usual precautions and you shall be fine. In the downtown areas of most cities it is quite rare to encounter any problems but it is very important to exercise caution in the less developed parts of the urban regions. If you want to take a taxi, ask for it using a phone service, it costs the same and your call will be answered rapidly. If you want to travel around the country you should research the areas your intend to visit, since some distant parts outside the cities are not recommended for tourists. If possible speak to a trusted local. Drugs Most of the cocaine consumed in the US and in Europe comes from Colombia, but local consumption is low, hence you will not be offered nor will see any drugs there, unless you look for them. Most Colombians are offended by jokes about drugs. Drugs and mafia have widespread a bad image of the country, although the police and armed forces fight furiously to combat them. All Colombian governments have had strong commitments to fight drug production and trade. Current President Alvaro Uribe, with significant aid from the US government, has led in the last 4 years a policy of massively destroying drug plantations using chemical defoliants.

[ World Health Orginisation ]

[ Hospital of Tropical Diseases ]