The riskiest countries to visit

Most travellers have fallen ill or been injured overseas at some point, but how badly or well things turn out can depend on the type of healthcare available in the country.

Medical and travel security risk services company International SOS has released its Health Risk Map 2015 which provides medical risk ratings for countries.

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According to the company’s website, the ratings are determined by a panel of International SOS medical directors.

The ratings provide an “overview of the threats of infectious disease, hygiene and sanitation, accidents and the availability and quality of the local health infrastructure”.

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The countries are colour-coded according to risk and the categories are: large rapidly developing countries, low risk, medium risk, high risk and extreme risk.

The countries in the “extreme risk” category where healthcare is “almost non-existent or severely overtaxed” include North Korea, Afghanistan, Iraq and large parts of Africa.

At the other end of the scale, the “low risk" countries which feature international-standard healthcare throughout include New Zealand, Australia, Japan, the US, Canada and most of western Europe.

Brown: Large rapidly developing countries
There is a vast difference between the high-quality medical care available in the major cities and the low levels of care generally available throughout the rest of the country.

Green: Low risk
International standard of care throughout.

Yellow: Medium risk
High or international standard available from selected providers; other providers offer a lower
standard of care.

Orange: High risk
Countries with limited medical capabilities.

Red: Extreme risk
Countries where healthcare is almost non-existent or severely overtaxed.

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