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Health and Safety

Health and Safety

Health

For minor health needs, there are many pharmacies all around Lagos. Many more drugs can be bought over the counter here than abroad. Or, just whatsapp a pharmacy like Medplus with what you need and they can deliver. The same is true for diagnostics - just whatsapp a diagnostics provider like Beacon Health and they can do house calls to take samples. If you need to visit a hospital here, the best is probably Euracare or Evercare

Malaria

Malaria is endemic in Lagos so it’s not a bad idea to take antimalarials during your stay (most likely Malarone). If you don’t get a prescription before you leave your home country, you can buy it over the counter in pharmacies. Just be forewarned that it’s very expensive ($100+ for two weeks worth of pills)

Alternatively, you could skip antimalarials but just take precautions to not get bitten by mosquitos. This is what we do. However, definitely get tested if you later develop a fever! You can pick up a malarial test from any pharmacy along with Coartem, the first-line treatment (less than $5 for both the test and treatment). This way, if you do develop a fever you can quickly diagnose + treat. With Malaria, early detection is crucial.

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Safety

While safety is a big issue in most parts of the country, security isn't a major concern for us in Lagos and we regularly walk, run, and bike around. That being said, because of the heat, traffic, and distance between things, you'll want to take a car most places.

Be careful traveling later at night. Police checkpoints are not an issue during the day but get much more common past 11pm. All of our Nigerian friends have awful stories of police harassment. If you're a foreigner or using a ride-share app you're somewhat protected from the worst of this, but may still encounter it.