Uzbekistan Travel Health and Safety

HIV infection rates are increasing rapidly, especially among the 15-34 age group, which accounts for two-thirds of the reported cases. Uzbekistan has one of the youngest epidemics in the world so it is vital that you take the usual precautions to avoid infection. Around 90% of the cases are thought to come from drug addicts sharing needles, but HIV is also widespread among sex workers. TB is also on the rise in Uzbekistan, but is mainly a problem in prisons and among malnourished rural communities. Hepatitis A, diphtheria and meningococcal meningitis are also more common here than in the West so make sure your inoculations are up to date. The following jabs are recommended for Uzbekistan:

* Tetanus-diphtheria * Hepatitis A * Typhoid * Polio

Food poisoning is fairly common, be careful with street food. Chances are that you will have some stomach problems within the first five days or so. The shashlik on sale on Plov Street (Broadway) has a bad reputation for leading to diarrhea
. Bring your favourite brands of shit stoppers with you as you may not be able to find them when you really need them. The water quality is not too good so try to avoid drinking tap water. Don’t eat salads washed in unclean water and peel fruit before eating it. If the food looks like it has been standing around for a long time in the heat and attracting the attention of flies, then steer well clear of it. Bottled water is readily available. If you have a conscience, don’t buy Nestle brands as they have used their economic muscle to unfairly force competitors out of business.

In Uzbekistan the health infrastructure is crumbling. A lack of investment combined with corruption has seen the quality of medical care deteriorate over recent years. There are two reliable clinics in Tashkent, the Tashkent International Medical Clinic , where they speak English, and MDS–Service, which is open 24 hours; only Uzbek and Russian are spoken. The healthcare situation in the rest of the country is patchy and essential supplies may be hard to obtain. Demand receipts if you want to claim back on your medical insurance. You will be expected to make an extra payment for treatment direct to the Doctor to supplement their tiny salaries (some 20-30 USD per month), you won’t be able to claim this back .

According to official statistics and the Uzbek media crime levels are low in Uzbekistan. The heavy police presence all over the country gives a veneer of security and in general it is fairly safe to travel around. However, grim economic conditions are leading to desperation and opportunistic street crime is on the rise. Cell phone snatches have been reported on the Plov Street (Broadway), and occasional bag snatches and muggings also take place. Pickpockets operate on the metro and in the bazaars. If you stick to the normal precautions of not drawing too much attention to yourself and not wearing lots of flashy jewellery you should be left alone. If you rent an apartment, never open the door to unknown people – you might find yourself confronting someone with a knife demanding money – unusual but not unheard of.

Some people recommend not getting into taxis if you are travelling alone and the taxi has other passengers in already, but personally I have had no problems with this. The trains are safe way to travel around Uzbekistan. The main problems with flying are due to the ageing fleet of Soviet-era planes still in use on some domestic routes.

If trekking in remote, mountainous areas then mines are a potential hazard as Uzbekistan’s borders with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are mined because of the threat of terrorist insurgents. The whole question of Islamic terrorism is a moot one as most of the IMU (Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan – a group with links to Al Qaeda and the Taliban) were wiped out in Afghanistan in 2001-2002. There were some bombs in March 2004 which were attributed to terrorism, but some observers see the hand of the Uzbek secret services in these incidents. The Uzbek authorities’ claim that Islamic militants were behind the May 2005 uprising in Andijon has been strongly refuted by observers who witnessed the events. As with many things in the parallel universe of Uzbekistan, these threats of Islamic terrorism are more in the minds of the authorities than a reality.

Uzbekistan shares land borders with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. The border areas are very sensitive so don’t take photos unless you fancy seeing the inside of one of Uzbekistan’s notorious prisons. The same applies to airports and the numerous military installations dotted around the country. In Tashkent the main roads are closed twice a day to allow the president to travel between his office and his fortified residence on the edge of the city. If you happen to be around, do what the police tell you to do and don’t try to take any snaps of Karimov as he zooms past in his Mercedes.

For more on looking after yourself on the road check out the Road Junky Travel Health Guide .

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