European foreign ministries recommend to travelers to Colombia a series of vaccinations to prevent certain diseases, especially if traveling to jungle areas. The following is recommended to all SALSA attendees:

1. Consult your doctor (at your country’s preventive medicine or foreign health unit) about health recommendations for travel to Colombia and, specifically, to Leticia. For example, the Spanish Foreign Health unit usually recommends vaccination against yellow fever, hepatitis A and B vaccination, tetanus, etc. In addition, your doctor may recommend anti-malaria prophylaxis and advise you on other health precautions, especially to avoid drinking water that is not bottled and to avoid mosquito bites that transmit dengue, malaria and other diseases that occur in a jungle city like Leticia.
2. Currently, the Ministry of Social Protection and the District Health Secretariat of Bogota D.C. maintain the recommendation to be vaccinated against yellow fever at least fifteen days prior to travel to areas where outbreaks have been detected in the past and, in particular, jungle areas and tropical areas of the Amazon river basin. Recommendations for travelers according to the Colombian Ministry of Health can be consulted at https://www.minsalud.gov.co/salud/publica/epidemiologia/Paginas/salud-al-viajero.aspx.
3. It is strongly recommended to have a valid international medical insurance when traveling to Colombia and that it has broad coverage.

Additionally, we recommend:

• Check that your vaccination card includes yellow fever
• Protect yourself from the sun’s rays: Use of hat-cap, glasses, sunscreen, according to your skin type.
• Wear comfortable shoes and light clothing with long sleeves.
• Use repellent to avoid insect bites
• If you are taking prescription or control medications, remember to continue with your regular use. Do not stop your treatment.
• Stay adequately hydrated, consume drinking water (tap water should not be consumed, this water is not drinkable)
• Inform the event organizers if you require special attention or have a health condition that requires special attention or if you have an allergy to any substance, food, insect bites, flowers, plants, etc.
• Verify the proper preparation of the food to be consumed.
• Avoid the consumption of alcoholic beverages if you are undergoing treatment or taking medications.
• Follow the advice of the people of the region for the consumption of some foods typical of the area.
• In case you decide to take tourist services, make sure that it is a certified agency, inform the organizers if you are going to travel.
• Identify the medical attention points: Hospital San Rafael de Leticia and Fundación Clínica Leticia.