Before you start

Travel health insurance with accessible funds for treatment abroad and repatriation
A yellow fever certificate if arriving from a listed transmission-risk country
Routine and travel vaccinations reviewed at least eight weeks before departure
A malaria plan agreed with a travel-medicine doctor
The three numbers above, stored offline, before you need them

Step-by-step

1
Get insurance that names repatriation, and read it
UK government advice states that medical facilities in Chad are poor, that hospital care in N'Djamena is often stretched, and that travel health insurance must include accessible funds to cover treatment abroad and repatriation. Read what the policy covers geographically: if your work takes you east toward the refugee operations or anywhere near the Lac province, check whether those movements are inside the cover.
OnlineWho: You or your employerBefore departureRepatriation-inclusive cover is the largest health line in any Chad budget
2
Store 1212 and the three clinic numbers today
The FCDO's instruction is to call 1212 and ask for an ambulance. Alongside it, save SOS International's 24-hour line, the Hôpital de la Renaissance and the French embassy's centre médico-social. Note the medico-social centre's hours: weekdays 07:30–13:00 and 15:00–17:30, Saturdays 08:00–12:00. Knowing which number is answered at three in the morning is the whole point of doing this in advance.
In personWho: YouYour first weekConsultations are paid at the point of care
3
Treat water as the primary risk while the cholera outbreak runs
The Ministry of Public Health and Prevention confirmed a cholera epidemic in N'Djamena by circular dated 24 July 2026, after laboratory analysis of gastroenteritis cases in several health facilities; a month earlier, 167 cases were recorded in the Karal district of Hadjer-Lamis province. The ministry's advice is strict hygiene, regular handwashing, safe drinking water and well-cooked food, and immediate reporting of suspected cases to the nearest health centre. Bottled or treated water for drinking and for teeth, and treat any diarrhoea as urgent.
In personWho: YouEvery day, while it runsBottled water is a real household line item
4
Plan for heat as a clinical risk, not a comfort issue
April's average daily high in N'Djamena is 42.0°C and August, the coolest month, still averages 31.8°C. Chadian media reported the capital enduring sustained temperatures above 40°C in May 2026, with power cuts leaving households without fans. Local practice is the guide: outdoor work stops between roughly 11:00 and 16:00 and resumes in the evening. Drink continuously, wear light clothing, and treat a working air conditioner and a generator as medical equipment rather than luxuries.
In personWho: You and your householdMarch to June especiallyGenerator fuel, which is a health cost as much as a utility one
5
Malaria, dust and a supply buffer
Malaria precautions are standard practice in this part of the Sahel and a fever should be tested the same day, not watched. From December to April the harmattan carries Saharan dust that aggravates asthma and every other respiratory condition — bring inhalers and a supply buffer if that is you. Pharmacies stock common medication reliably and specialist medication unreliably, so carry enough of anything long-term to outlast a gap.
In personWho: You, with a travel clinicBefore departure and ongoingProphylaxis and medication are recurring costs

Documents you’ll need

Insurance documents naming treatment abroad and repatriation
Yellow fever certificate, if arriving from a listed transmission-risk country
1212 plus SOS International, Hôpital de la Renaissance and the centre médico-social, stored offline
A written summary of your medical history and prescriptions, in French
Enough of any specialist medication to outlast a supply gap

Things most newcomers don’t know

1212 is the number. Store it before you need it.

UK government advice for Chad is to call 1212 and ask for an ambulance — which is more than several of Chad's neighbours can offer, and still sits on top of medical facilities the same advice describes as poor with hospital care in the capital often stretched. The number gets you a vehicle; the insurance gets you the treatment.

Source: UK FCDO — Chad, health

Cholera is in the capital right now, and it is a water-discipline problem.

The health ministry confirmed the epidemic in N'Djamena by circular on 24 July 2026, a month after 167 cases in Karal district in Hadjer-Lamis. Its own advice is handwashing, safe water, well-cooked food and immediate reporting. This changes daily behaviour — bottled or treated water including for teeth — in a way that generic Sahel advice does not.

Source: Ministère de la Santé Publique et de la Prévention circular, 24 July 2026, via ONAMA and Le Pays

42°C in April is a health fact and an equipment budget.

N'Djamena's average April daily high is 42.0°C and even August averages 31.8°C. Layered on an electrification rate the World Bank put at 12%, with generation overwhelmingly diesel, that means heat illness is a live risk in exactly the households whose cooling fails. Budget the generator as clinical infrastructure and copy the local working day rather than importing your own.

Source: N'Djamena climate record; Chadian press reporting on the May 2026 heat

The harmattan is a respiratory season, not just a dusty one.

From December to April, Saharan dust cuts visibility and degrades air quality across the Sahel, and the end of the season overlaps with the hottest months — so the worst air and the worst heat arrive together in March and April. If anyone in your household has asthma or a chronic respiratory condition, bring the medication and the plan rather than expecting to source them here.

Source: Harmattan season, December–April

Common mistakes to avoid

Arriving without insurance that explicitly covers repatriation
Not knowing 1212, or which of the three clinic numbers is answered at night
Drinking or brushing teeth with untreated water during a confirmed cholera epidemic
Treating a fever as heat exhaustion rather than testing for malaria the same day
Underestimating April: 42°C plus a power cut is a medical situation, not an inconvenience
Relying on local pharmacies for specialist medication instead of bringing a buffer

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