The small Kingdom of Eswatini is located in South Africa and is landlocked. Until 2018, Eswatini was known as Swaziland, and the inhabitants are called the Swazi people. It is a country with an underdeveloped economy and low to middle income. With a population of 1.13 million, most Eswatini citizens face challenges in accessing quality health care. However, the government bodies of former Swaziland are focused on improving the health and well-being of their citizens.

The importance and support of a normal level of health care for the citizens of this African state are associated with the presence of numerous diseases. The Swazi population faces serious health problems, mainly HIV/AIDS. Today, about a third of adult residents are HIV-positive. As of 2022, Eswatini ranks 12th in the world in terms of life expectancy at 59 years. In addition, tuberculosis also remains a serious problem.

Public and private medicine Eswatini: where is the best place to get treatment?

If there is a need to receive treatment abroad, primary health care in Eswatini is relatively free, but its low quality does not meet the needs of people. Medical treatment here is provided in two types of institutions:

1. Public hospitals (free treatment).

2. Private medical centers (paid services).

The public health system is administered by the Eswatini Ministry of Health and Welfare and is responsible for developing all regulations, laws, and standards in the field of medicine. Despite significant international assistance from other states, the government of the Kingdom of Eswatini is not able to finance medical services at a normal level. Most of these institutions do not have the necessary materials, medicines, and, most importantly, trained medical personnel.

Public hospitals provide medical treatment services such as:

• ambulance;

• treatment in a hospital;

• ambulatory treatment;

• dental treatment abroad (stomatology);

• obstetrics and gynecology.

Private medicine provides a higher level of medical services than public medicine and is paid for. Thanks to good funding, all clinics have an excellent staff of highly skilled workers: doctors, nurses, and narrow specialists. And also, they are equipped with a large number of modern medical equipment and offer a wider range of medical services. It should be noted: that many private medical centers, hospitals, and small clinics are located at Eswatini hotels. There are more than 100 private medical clinics in the country located in different cities. And three private hospitals are located in the capital Manzini and develop modern treatment regimens abroad.

In addition to the public and private sectors, in former Swaziland, there is traditional medical treatment. Herbal medicine is very popular here, with about 85% of the population relying on it for primary health care. The widespread use of medicinal plants in the country has inspired many doctors to research the field of herbal medicine. Practitioners of herbal medicine have many herbal medicines that have been used for generations to treat the symptoms of various diseases.

Recommendations for foreign citizens: insurance conditions

If you are planning travel and tourism in Eswatini, remember that it is always possible to get medical care in all institutions of the country, but you will need to pay for the services. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you take out travel insurance. You can buy insurance in the Kingdom of Eswatini with one click on the website, where you can choose a service of several categories, including travel insurance with covid coverage. Thus, services are provided not directly in local clinics, but through the host, the company indicated in the medical policy. The insurance must be of international standard, and the larger the amount of insurance coverage, the better. In addition, travelers are strongly advised to take out a policy covering emergency evacuation and transportation costs. In the event of a serious injury, travel costs can be up to $100,000.

Tourists visiting the country must be vaccinated against yellow fever, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, typhoid, and meningococcus. It is worth noting that malaria is common throughout former Swaziland, so visitors should carry antimalarial drugs with them.