• Cote d'Ivoire Health Insurance Information

Cote d’Ivoire, sometimes named Ivory Coast is a country located in West Africa between Guinea, Mali, Ghana and Liberia. Its surface is more than 322,400 square kilometer for a population of 6.7 million people. The reason why many people refer to this country as Cote d’Ivoire nowadays is because in the middle of the 1980’s the government required the name “Ivory Coast” to be changed to “Cote d’Ivoire” not only in English but also in other languages. More than 10 year the country has been experienced a political instability as well as civil war. Although Cote d’Ivoire Capital is Yamoussoukro, both political and economical activity remains much more developed in Abidjan. Cote d’Ivoire has developed strong Industry as a producer Pal Oil and Coffee.

Cote d’Ivoire fragile Healthcare system

Due to several political and civil war issues, the medical sector in Cote d’Ivoire is mediocre and it usually cannot provide adequate Healthcare treatment to its population, medical facilities in Cote d'Ivoire, healthcare physicians and medication are subject to shortage. According to statistics, Citizens only leave up to 44 years old on average. The country Healthcare has to face a high number of pathologies linked to AIDS and HIV and in general tropical diseases. This leads to a high mortality among Children.
Adequate Medical facilities are lacking and the number of doctors and hospital beds available for the total population is too low. While Abidjan generally offers better medical facilities, other rural zones lack proper hospitals, nurses and physicians.
AIDS is one of the most challenging Healthcare issue since transmission is hard to stop; possible contamination include mother to baby as well as contaminated needles during transfusion. Only few patients receive adequate medication to sustain treatment against the disease in relation to the total population.

Healthcare in Abidjan

It is generally recommended to go to Abidjan to receive better medical treatment as there are more suitable private medical facilities available. Some private Hospitals such as PISAM (Polyclinique Internationale Sainte Anne-Marie) or Hotel Dieu offer generally more adequate treatment. Although some high end private facilities in Abidjan have set up cashless facilities with Insurers, you are often required to pay by cash your medical expenses.  In most cases these facilities do not compare well against top Healthcare facilities available in Europe or USA.

As with most countries subject to Malaria and tropical diseases it is strongly recommended to get adequate vaccination before you travel to Cote d’Ivoire. It is advisable to sleep with a bed net during the night and wear adequate clothes with long leaves during the day to limit mosquito risk. You should also boil the water to limit contamination risks. Several products are available to decontaminate water and kill germs; it is useful to request advice with your local pharmacist before you travel.

Given the potential Healthcare risks when you travel to Cote d’Ivoire it is recommended to choose a suitable Health Insurance before you travel. We offer several Healthcare plans that will cover you in case an unexpected disease of accident happens. We recommend you choose a medical insurance plan that covers Emergency Evacuation as well as repatriation when traveling to Cote d’Ivoire. Our consultants can help you choosing the best Health Insurance plans for your needs, please do not hesitate to ask us a for a comprehensive International Health Insurance quote.

QUESTIONS RELATED TO COTE D'IVOIRE:

•  Where can I reach the French embassy in Cote d’Ivoire?

You may contact the French embassy in Abidjan at the following address:

17 rue Lecoeur , PO box 175, Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Telephone:
+225-2020-0404
Fax:
+225-2020-0481
Email:
ambassade@ambafrance-ci.org
Website URL:
www.ambafrance-ci.org

•  I am traveling to Cote d’Ivoire in 4 month, which health Insurance plan do you recommend?

International Health Cover offer a large choice of Healthcare plans with several levels of cover such as Hospitalisation, Outpatient, Dental and Maternity. When you travel to Abidjan we recommend you choose a comprehensive health Insurance plan with emergency evacuation built-in your plan since you may need to be transported to a more suitable Hospital, especially if you travel to rural zones. We also recommend you choose to be covered for Repatriation in Case an unexpected major accident or disease happens. However we advise you to contact one of our consultants as your situation can determine the most suitable Healthcare plan for your profile. International Health cover offer you free advice to select the most adapted medical insurance plan among a wide selection of Insurers.