Health As I make my final arrangements for my first trip to Scotland, in two weeks, I ammindful not only of all the travel health issues, including my travel health insurance, but also the increasingly important attention that must be paid to travel security. The alarming mass killings that have occurred recently inmany countries have sparked a renewed interest for me and my family as we plan for our trip, making our destinations important. As well, we must pay attention to our personal safety and security while away fromhome. The Government of Canada provides Travel Advice and Advisories on their website to provide travellers with up-to-date information about a country’s overall level of security risk. These advisories are listed in four categories: Exercise normal security precautions, Exercise a high degree of caution, Avoid non-essential travel, and Avoid all travel. In addition to your own safety, paying attention to the latest advisories is important because of your travel health insurance policy, as most insurers will provide no coverage for persons travelling to countries in the last two categories. Even if there is no Travel Advisory against travelling to that area, be aware of emerging health threats, such as was the case with SARS, Ebola and now Zika virus in Brazil and other South American countries. Registration of Canadians Abroad is another recommended initiative. This is a free service that allows the Government of Canada to notify you in case of an emergency abroad or a personal emergency at home. The service also enables you to receive important information before or during a natural disaster or civil unrest. You may do this online. If you do not register, at least determine (before you travel) the contact information for the embassy or closest consular office in the country which you are visiting. Travel Security by Robert MacMillan MD 40 | www.snowbirds.org
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