MILAN – Authoritative institutions such as the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs provide travellers with useful advice and tips to implement in order to safeguard themselves from possible diseases and infections, such as for example the importance of using and drinking only bottled water and sealed beverages to guarantee health and safety.

Risks and remedies

The publication entitled “Prevention of health risks for international travellers” warns of vector-borne diseases that can be caught on international trips. These diseases are widespread, especially in tropical and sub-tropical regions where the climatic conditions are particularly favourable to vectors (mosquitoes, ticks, flies, etc.), and make up over 80% of infectious diseases. Some of these diseases can be avoided with vaccines before departure. However, for many others implementing simple but valuable preventive behaviour is sufficient. The Ministry of Health recommends, first and foremost, being aware of the epidemiological situation in the travel destination area, and as such warns against swimming or even simply wading barefoot in fresh standing water and to use safe water. When it is not possible to obtain bottled mineral water, drinking water and water for other domestic uses should be filtered and boiled or treated with disinfectants.

Care with hygiene

Another equally important contribution comes from NIHMP (the National Institute for Health, Migration and Poverty), a public body under the supervision of the Ministry of Health. In collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Crisis Unit, the NIHMP has put together “Enjoy your trip & look after yourself”, a guide for an informed trip that provides numerous tips, especially useful if your destination is a hot country or a country with poor hygiene. Use of safe water not only for drinking, but also for personal hygiene, to rinse food or to add to drinks in the form of ice, is one of the most important pieces of advice included in the ‘10 golden rules’, which all Italian tourists should follow when abroad on holiday. In particular, NIHMP recommends “drinking only bottled and sealed water and drinks: the water must be microbiologically and toxicologically pure; only bottled water has been subjected to health standards and safety tests.”

by editorial staff