Health in The Gambia
Gambia Vibes · Travel Tips · Health
The biggest health risk in The Gambia is not exotic. It is the mosquito. Malaria is present all year, everywhere in the country, and every season some visitors fly home with it and are diagnosed too late. The second risk is what happens if something serious goes wrong, because hospital care here is limited. Prepare for both and you can enjoy the Smiling Coast without worry.
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The short answer
- Malaria: all year, whole country; take antimalarial tablets and avoid bites
- Yellow fever: a certificate is required if you arrive from a yellow fever risk country; the CDC recommends the vaccine for all travellers aged nine months or more
- See a travel clinic six to eight weeks before you go
- Water: bottled only. See is the water safe?
- Insurance: take cover that includes medical evacuation
- Emergency numbers: ambulance 116, police 117, fire 118
Malaria: the one to take seriously
Malaria in The Gambia is mostly the dangerous falciparum form. The risk exists all year and across the whole country, the coast included, and it rises sharply in the rainy season, from about July to November. Hotels spray, and the resorts feel safe. That is exactly why visitors get careless.
Prevent it
- Take antimalarial tablets. Your doctor or travel clinic will choose the right one for you. Common options are atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline and mefloquine. Take them exactly as prescribed, including after you get home.
- Avoid bites, especially from dusk to dawn. Use a repellent with DEET or another proven ingredient, wear long sleeves and trousers in the evening, and sleep under a net or in a room with screens or air conditioning.
- No tablet is 100%. Bite prevention matters just as much.
Fever after The Gambia means a malaria test
If you get a fever, chills, headache or flu-like illness while in The Gambia or up to a year after you return, get a malaria test the same day, and tell the doctor you have been to West Africa. Falciparum malaria can become life-threatening within a day or two. Do not wait for it to pass.
Yellow fever and other vaccines
The Gambia is in Africa's yellow fever zone. The rule for entry is that you must show a yellow fever certificate if you arrive from a country with yellow fever risk and are at least nine months old. The US CDC goes further and recommends the vaccine for all travellers from nine months up. Many visitors travel on to Senegal or elsewhere in the region, where certificates are also checked. Get the jab and carry the yellow card.
Your travel clinic will usually also suggest:
- hepatitis A and typhoid (food and water)
- tetanus, diphtheria and polio boosters if due
- hepatitis B for longer stays or medical risk
- rabies for longer stays, cyclists, runners, and anyone going far from medical care; dogs, bats and monkeys can carry it
- meningitis, depending on season and how far inland you travel
Advice changes. Check the current recommendations with your own doctor or travel clinic, not from a website, including this one.
Other risks
Stomach upsets
"Banjul belly" is the most common complaint. Drink bottled water, be careful with ice and salads at small stalls, wash your hands, and carry oral rehydration salts. See a doctor if you have blood in your stool, a high fever, or can't keep fluids down.
Bilharzia
Schistosomiasis, carried by tiny parasites in fresh water, is a risk in the Gambia River, its creeks and inland pools. Don't swim or wade in fresh water. The sea and properly chlorinated pools are safe from it.
Sun and heat
The sun is fierce, and upriver the heat in March to May can pass 40°C. Wear a hat, use high-factor sun cream, drink more than you think you need, and plan outdoor trips for the morning.
Animals
Don't touch or feed dogs, cats or monkeys, even the "tame" ones at Bijilo and Abuko. Any bite or scratch means washing the wound thoroughly with soap and water and getting medical advice about rabies the same day.
Medicines: bring your own
Pharmacies in the coastal area stock most common medicines, but quality is not always guaranteed. In 2022 dozens of Gambian children died of kidney failure linked to contaminated cough syrups made abroad, a tragedy that led to WHO alerts worldwide. Bring enough of your own medicines for the whole trip plus extra, in their original packaging with a copy of the prescription, plus a basic kit: painkillers, rehydration salts, antihistamines, plasters, antiseptic, repellent and sun cream.
Hospitals and clinics
Be realistic. The US government cites inadequate health infrastructure among the reasons for its Level 2 advisory. The main public referral hospital is the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital in Banjul. There are private clinics in the coastal area that handle minor problems, tests and malaria treatment well. For serious injuries, heart problems or complex surgery, patients are often moved to Dakar or flown to Europe.
- Ask your hotel which private clinic it uses before you need one.
- Clinics usually want payment upfront, often in cash. Keep receipts for your insurer.
- Power cuts affect hospitals too.
- Travel insurance with medical evacuation is not optional here. Check that it covers the activities you plan.
Health checklist for The Gambia
| Before you go | While you are there |
|---|---|
| Travel clinic 6–8 weeks ahead | Antimalarials every day as prescribed |
| Yellow fever jab and certificate | Repellent and long sleeves after dark |
| Antimalarial prescription | Bottled water only |
| Insurance with evacuation | No swimming in the river |
| Own medicines plus spare | Hat, sun cream, plenty of fluids |
| Basic first-aid kit | Fever means a malaria test, the same day |
Travel with people who know the ground. A good local guide knows where the nearest clinic is, which water to drink and when the heat makes a walk a bad idea. These tours are run by local operators in The Gambia. Entrance fees are already included in the tour price. Tips for your guide, driver and boat crew are not included, but they are always welcome.
More Gambia travel tips
- Is the water safe in The Gambia?
- Best time to visit The Gambia
- Gambia travel advice
- Getting around The Gambia
- Money in The Gambia
- The Gambia tourist information
Across the network
Sources: CDC Yellow Book, yellow fever and malaria by country. US State Department, The Gambia (Level 2, January 2026). UK FCDO travel advice. WHO medical product alerts on contaminated cough syrups, October 2022. This page is general information, not medical advice. Ask your doctor or travel clinic before you travel.
Gambia Vibes · Part of the Ghana-Net network · Updated and fact-checked: 6 November 2026