Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2014 Mar;90(3):553-559.
doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.13-0479. Epub 2014 Jan 20.

Pre-travel preparation of US travelers going abroad to provide humanitarian service, Global TravEpiNet 2009-2011

Rhett J Stoney, Emily S Jentes, Mark J Sotir, Phyllis Kozarsky, Sowmya R Rao, Regina C LaRocque, Edward T Ryan, The Global TravEpiNet Consortium

Pre-travel preparation of US travelers going abroad to provide humanitarian service, Global TravEpiNet 2009-2011

Rhett J Stoney et al. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2014 Mar.

Abstract

We analyzed characteristics of humanitarian service workers (HSWs) seen pre-travel at Global TravEpiNet (GTEN) practices during 2009-2011. Of 23,264 travelers, 3,663 (16%) travelers were classified as HSWs. Among HSWs, 1,269 (35%) travelers were medical workers, 1,298 (35%) travelers were non-medical service workers, and 990 (27%) travelers were missionaries. Median age was 29 years, and 63% of travelers were female. Almost one-half (49%) traveled to 1 of 10 countries; the most frequent destinations were Haiti (14%), Honduras (8%), and Kenya (6%). Over 90% of travelers were vaccinated for or considered immune to hepatitis A, typhoid, and yellow fever. However, for hepatitis B, 292 (29%) of 990 missionaries, 228 (18%) of 1,298 non-medical service workers, and 76 (6%) of 1,269 medical workers were not vaccinated or considered immune. Of HSWs traveling to Haiti during 2010, 5% of travelers did not receive malaria chemoprophylaxis. Coordinated efforts from HSWs, HSW agencies, and clinicians could reduce vaccine coverage gaps and improve use of malaria chemoprophylaxis.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Proportion of HSWs vaccinated or already immune at time of pre-travel consultation for vaccine-preventable diseases by type of service performed (GTEN from January of 2009 through December of 2011). ^Category includes all HSWs who indicated performing medical service as well as HSWs performing any combination of medical work and other humanitarian service.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance in Humanitarian Action The State of the Humanitarian System: Assessing Performance and Progress: A Pilot Study. 2010. www.alnap.org Available at: Accessed December 10, 2011.
    1. Dahlgren AL, Deroo L, Avril J, Bise G, Loutan L. Health risks and risk-taking behaviors among International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) expatriates returning from humanitarian missions. J Travel Med. 2009;16:382–390. - PubMed
    1. Goesch JN, Simons de Fanti A, Bechet S, Consigny PH. Comparison of knowledge on travel related health risks and their prevention among humanitarian aid workers and other travellers consulting at the Institut Pasteur travel clinic in Paris, France. Travel Med Infect Dis. 2010;8:364–372. - PubMed
    1. Chen LH, Wilson ME, Davis X, Loutan L, Schwartz E, Keystone J, Hale D, Lim PL, McCarthy A, Gkrania-Klotsas E, Schlagenhauf P. GeoSentinel Surveillance Network Illness in long-term travelers visiting GeoSentinel clinics. Emerg Infect Dis. 2009;15:1773–1782. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Callahan MV, Hamer DH. On the medical edge: preparation of expatriates, refugee and disaster relief workers, and Peace Corps volunteers. Infect Dis Clin North Am. 2005;19:85–101. - PubMed

Publication types