Medical Issues: (Always consult your doctor first) Important Long-term Vaccinations:- Yellow Fever: Vaccination, which is valid for 10 years, is strongly advised. If you are planning to travel to neighbouring Senegal a Yellow Fever vaccination certificate is essential Hepatitis B: This is a major health risk, particularly to those working with medical patients, survey subjects or laboratory specimens in The Gambia (over 10% of the population carry the virus). Since this is a potentially fatal condition, it is essential that those at risk receive at least 2 doses of hepatitis B vaccine before arrival in The Gambia. Hepatitis A : Three doses of vaccine are strongly recommended before arrival in The Gambia Tetanus Toxoid: A single booster dose is strongly recommended every 5-10 years. However, if there is any doubt as to whether immunization with this vaccine was received as a child a full course of three doses of this vaccine should be given. Human Diploid Cell Rabies vaccine: Rabies is endemic in The Gambia. Two intra-dermal doses one month apart are strongly recommended before arrival in The Gambia. A booster dose is required every three years. Diphtheria & Whooping Cough: Both commonly occur in The Gambia. Therefore it is recommended that babies receive the normal course of 3 doses of triple vaccine (diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough) before departure to The Gambia. BCG: This gives some protection against Tuberculosis, which is common in The Gambia. It is, therefore, advisable for children and adults to have BCG vaccination before departure for The Gambia. Cholera vaccine: This is of limited value. Typhoid: A single dose provides protection for three years when a booster is recommended. Meningococcal meningitis: Single dose It is advisable that you have the vaccination status of yourself and your family reviewed every 3 years Malaria Chemoprophylaxis: You and your family should take malaria prophylaxis routinely, particularly from July to December (the rainy season). There are several options - Mefloquine (Lariam) 2 tablets weekly; OR Chloroquine,2 tablets (300 mg) weekly AND Proguanil (Paludrine),2 tablets (200 mg) daily; OR Pyrimethamine (Daraprim) 25 mg weekly OR doxycycline 100 mg daily. These are adult doses and should be reduced appropriately for children. Anti-malarials should be started 3 days before departing for The Gambia and should be continued for 4 weeks after leaving. No prophylaxis provides complete protection against malaria. Your accommodation should have mosquito screens on all the windows; further protection is obtained by sleeping under an insecticide-impregnated bed net and using DEET-based repellants. General advice It is recommended that you boil and filter all drinking water, particularly outside the Greater Banjul area. Avoid ice in drinks and take care when eating food in local restaurants & beach bars (especially salads). Do not swim in natural fresh-water pools or streams to avoid bilharzia. Beware of sunburn, particularly on beaches, even on hazy days. Have your teeth and eyes checked before your departure. FACILITIES IN THE GAMBIA: 1) Banks: The banks at Fajara open from 8.30 - 11.30 am and 4.00 - 6.30 pm Monday - Friday and from 4.00 - 6.30 pm on Saturdays. If you have a Gambian bank account there are automatic cash machines outside some of the banks and petrol stations. Credit cards are becoming more widely accepted in The Gambia and can now be used in some supermarkets and restaurants. However the exchange rate is generally very poor 2) Public Transport: Local taxis (which are usually shared) are painted yellow with a green stripe and tourist taxis, which are more expensive, are green with a white diamond. It is advisable to negotiate the price before you enter the vehicle 3) Restaurants: There are many good restaurants in the Fajara area which cater for most tastes and staff at the Unit will be pleased to recommend some to you 4) Schools: For children of school age there are the following schools in the Fajara area: Banjul American Embassy School - tuition, which is in English, follows the American curriculum. For children who do not speak English well they provide a special class for EFL (English as a foreign language). (Ages 2 - 14). Ecole Francaise de Banjul - tuition, which is in French, follows the French curriculum. Children who do not speak French are accepted up to 5 years of age. (Ages 2 1/2 - 15). Marina International School - tuition, which is in English, follows the English system. (Ages 3 - 18)Zenith Preparatory School - tuition, which is in English, follows the English system. (Ages 3 - 11)There are also a number of playgroups which take children from 1-4 years of age. The Banjul American Embassy School also takes children from 2 years of age in their Nursery and pre-K programme 5) Shopping Advice: There are many supermarkets in the Fajara area which are well-stocked with imported food. They normally open at 9.00 am and close at 7.30 pm Monday - Saturday although some open later. Some of the supermarkets also open from 10.00 am - 2.00 pm on Sundays and Public Holidays. Availability varies so be prepared to go to several when looking for items. There are a number of street markets which sell local food, e.g. fruit, fish, vegetables etc., which are very seasonal. The markets usually open at 8.00 am and close at 7.00 pm. The closest local market to the Fajara is Bakau. GAMVEG, situated on Kairaba Avenue, sells local and imported vegetables, fresh eggs etc. You can buy fresh fish from the beach at Bakau where there are many types of fish and shellfish available eg. Barracuda, Red Snapper, Ladyfish, Grouper, Sole Fish, Crayfish, Prawns etc. 6) Sports: There are many opportunities for sport and leisure activities for staff who are based at Fajara which are listed below: Sport is inexpensive with coaching being available in a number of sports, e.g. tennis, golf. Badminton, cricket, fishing, football, golf, Hash House Harriers, Fitness Gyms, Rugby, Sailing, Squash, Surfing, Swimming, Snooker, Table Tennis, Tennis, Volleyball and Windsurfing. There is a small chess club and also a bridge club which usually meets once a week There is a recreational club at Fajara which has a bar, restaurant for poolside food, swimming pool, golf course, a squash court,2 tennis courts, a badminton court and facilities for table tennis and snooker. Family membership is approximately £190 per annum (payable in Dalasis). There are reduced rates for people who are based up-country Telephones The local and international telephone system in The Gambia is very good and it is easy to make calls overseas, although not within West Africa. The code for the UK is 0044 and then the number, omitting the first 0. See also Moving to Gambia See also  Expats Info.