Before you start

International health insurance that names medical evacuation, states the receiving country AND confirms it covers an internal repositioning flight
A yellow fever vaccination certificate — required and checked on arrival
Routine and travel vaccinations reviewed at least eight weeks before departure
A stock of any medication you cannot reliably replace here

Step-by-step

1
Confirm your evacuation plan includes the leg to Kinshasa
UK government advice is explicit that Western-standard facilities are almost non-existent outside Kinshasa. From Kisangani, evacuation therefore has two stages: a domestic flight, then an international one. Ask your insurer in writing whether the internal leg is covered, who arranges it, and what the response time looks like when the daily flight has already gone. This is the question most policies answer badly.
OnlineWho: You or your employerBefore you flyThe single largest health line in a Kisangani budget
2
Identify your medical focal point on day one
In practice the best-resourced medical capacity in this city sits with the UN system, the international NGOs and the university hospital. If you are with an organisation, find out which facility you are attached to, whether it covers your family, and what its after-hours arrangement is. If you are not, register somewhere and store the number before you need it.
In personWho: YouFirst weekConsultations paid at the point of care
3
Treat malaria as the default explanation for a fever
This is intense year-round falciparum transmission with no dry season to interrupt it. Prophylaxis, nets and repellent are the standard package, and a fever means a same-day rapid test, not a wait-and-see. Agree the regimen with a travel-medicine doctor before departure because the right one depends on the length of the posting.
In personWho: You, with a travel clinicBefore departure and continuouslyA recurring monthly cost
4
Treat water as a live risk
The DRC recorded more than 71,200 cholera cases and 2,070 deaths in 2025, the worst outbreak in twenty-five years, with case numbers rising again through 2026. Drink treated or bottled water including for teeth; treat any diarrhoea with or without fever as an urgent consultation. In a city with abundant surface water and stretched municipal supply, this is not a precaution to relax.
In personWho: YouEvery dayFiltration or bottled water is a household line item
5
Know exactly where the Ebola outbreak is, and what that means for you
The Ministry of Public Health declared the DRC's 17th Ebola outbreak on 15 May 2026 in Ituri province, and WHO determined the Bundibugyo-virus epidemic in the DRC and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 17 May 2026. Ituri is east of Tshopo. Kisangani is a logistics and referral hub for that region, so screening and health messaging are visible here — that is preparedness, not local transmission. Check WHO and the ministry before any eastward travel, and check what your insurer says about it.
OnlineWho: YouBefore any eastward movementNone
6
Bring the medication you cannot replace
Supply here arrives by air or by barge and gaps happen. Specialist medication, particular dosages and anything requiring cold chain are the categories to plan around. Bring a buffer measured in months, and get your prescription written in French with generic names.
In personWho: YouBefore you fly, and at every home visitThe cost of carrying stock is far below the cost of running out

Documents you’ll need

Yellow fever vaccination certificate
Insurance documents naming evacuation cover, the receiving country and the internal repositioning leg
Your medical focal point's direct number
A written medical history and prescription list in French, using generic drug names
A months-deep buffer of any specialist medication

Things most newcomers don’t know

Your evacuation has an extra leg, and most policies are vague about it.

From Kinshasa, evacuation is one flight. From Kisangani it is two, and the first one is domestic, weather-dependent and scheduled rather than on demand. Confirm in writing that the internal leg is covered and arranged. This is the single most consequential difference between a Kisangani posting and a Kinshasa one.

Source: UK FCDO health advice; the city's flight connectivity

There is no ambulance number in this country.

UK government advice states plainly that the DRC has no general emergency medical number and that you contact a hospital directly. Choosing a facility and storing its number before anything happens is the cheapest preparation available and the one most people skip.

Source: UK FCDO — DRC travel advice, health

Being next to an outbreak is different from being in one.

Ebola is in Ituri, east of this province, and it is serious. Kisangani is a hub for that response rather than a site of it. Getting the distinction right matters in both directions: it stops unnecessary alarm, and it stops complacency about the screening, travel restrictions and insurance clauses that a neighbouring emergency genuinely triggers.

Source: WHO, 17 May 2026; DRC Ministry of Public Health, 15 May 2026

The pharmacy is a supply chain, not a shop.

Everything arrives by air or river. A medication that is normally available can be unavailable for weeks with no warning and no substitute nearby. Long-term residents carry deep buffers of anything they genuinely depend on, and restock on every trip home.

Source: Practice among long-term residents; the city's logistics position

Common mistakes to avoid

Buying evacuation cover without confirming the internal flight to Kinshasa is included
Assuming an organisation's medical arrangement covers your family
Waiting to see whether a fever passes rather than testing for malaria the same day
Drinking untreated water during a national cholera epidemic
Travelling east without checking the current outbreak position and your insurer's stance
Arriving with a month of specialist medication and expecting to refill locally

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.