Skip to navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to footer

Welcome to the new GeoSentinel website! Submit feedback here.

ALERT: Increased Dengue transmission in Francophone countries in the Caribbean. Read more.

The practice of travel medicine in Europe

The practice of travel medicine in Europe

Lead Author: P Schlagenhauf

Journal

Clinical microbiology and infection

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-0691.2009.03133.x

PubMed

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20222895

Abstract

Europe, because of its geographical location, strategic position on trade routes, and colonial past, has a long history of caring for travellers’ health. Within Europe, there is great diversity in the practice of travel medicine. Some countries have travel medicine societies and provisions for a periodic distribution of recommendations, but many countries have no national pre-travel guidelines and follow international recommendations such as those provided by the WHO. Providers of travel medicine include tropical medicine specialists, general practice nurses and physicians, specialist ‘travel clinics’, occupational physicians, and pharmacists. One of the core functions of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control-funded network of travel and tropical medicine professionals, EuroTravNet, is to document the status quo of travel medicine in Europe. A three-pronged approach is used, with a real-time online questionnaire, a structured interview with experts in each country, and web searching.