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Rwanda

East Africa · Africa · Physician brief

📝Draft — pending physician review
📝Draft — pending physician review. This brief was compiled from CDC, WHO, and EKRM/HealthyTravel sources (June 2026) and has not yet been verified by a clinician. Confirm specifics with a travel-medicine professional before relying on it.

Yellow fever — entry certificate if arriving from a risk country

There is no yellow fever risk in Rwanda, and the vaccine is generally not recommended for direct travel from Switzerland. However, a valid certificate is required for travelers aged 9 months and older arriving from (or transiting through) a yellow-fever-risk country. Plan vaccination accordingly if your itinerary includes another African destination.

CDC / WHO ↗ · Updated 2026

Cholera in Western Province

Cholera transmission has been reported in parts of the Western Province. Adhere to safe food and water practices; oral cholera vaccine may be considered for travel to affected areas.

CDC / WHO ↗ · Updated 2026

Malaria

Moderate

Dengue

Low

Yellow fever

Moderate

Chikungunya

Low

Vaccines

VaccineRecommendationReference
Routine vaccines

Make sure you are up-to-date on all routine vaccines before every trip — per the Swiss BAG schedule. These include:

BAG Impfplan
Cholera

Oral cholera vaccine may be considered for travel to areas of active transmission (e.g. Western Province), or for aid/health workers and those in poor sanitary conditions.

CDC Yellow Book
Hepatitis A

Recommended for all travelers to East Africa. Note for Swiss travelers: Hepatitis A is not part of the routine Swiss BAG childhood schedule, so most adult travelers will need vaccination.

CDC Yellow Book
Hepatitis B

Consider per individual risk and stay duration. Routine in Swiss childhood schedule since 1998 — younger travelers usually covered.

CDC Yellow Book
Rabies

Recommended for longer stays, remote travel, cycling/motorbike trips, work with animals, and for children. Rabid dogs are commonly found in Rwanda and post-exposure care can be hard to obtain locally.

CDC Yellow Book
Typhoid

Recommended for most travelers, especially those visiting smaller cities or rural areas or staying with friends and relatives.

CDC Yellow Book
Yellow fever

Not generally recommended for direct travel from Switzerland (no domestic risk), but a certificate is required if arriving from a yellow-fever-risk country. Single dose gives lifelong protection. See country alert.

CDC Yellow Book

Disease-specific guidance

Malaria

Moderate

Present mainly in lower-altitude areas, year-round. Kigali and high-altitude regions including Volcanoes National Park (gorilla trekking) are low-risk. Chemoprophylaxis is recommended for low-altitude itineraries; the predominant parasite is P. falciparum with chloroquine resistance.

Higher risk
Lower-altitude areas, year-round
Low risk
Kigali; Volcanoes National Park (high altitude)
Parasite
Mainly P. falciparum, chloroquine-resistant
Prophylaxis
Atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, or mefloquine for low-altitude travel

Yellow fever

Moderate

No yellow fever risk in country. The vaccine is generally not recommended for direct travel from Switzerland, but a valid certificate is required for travelers ≥9 months arriving from a yellow-fever-risk country. See country alert.

Risk
None in country
Entry rule
Certificate if arriving from risk country

Dengue

Low

Dengue transmission can occur, carried by daytime-biting Aedes mosquitoes. The same bite-prevention measures used against malaria also protect against dengue.

Vector
Aedes mosquito — bites during daytime
Prevention
Daytime repellent and covering up

General prevention

Food & water

Use bottled or reliably treated water, avoid ice and raw produce, and eat thoroughly cooked food. These measures reduce traveler's diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid. Periodic cholera transmission has been reported in the Western Province.

Mosquito protection

Malaria risk is concentrated in lower-altitude areas; Kigali and high-altitude regions (Volcanoes National Park) are low-risk. Chemoprophylaxis is recommended for low-altitude itineraries. Use DEET or picaridin repellent, cover up at dawn and dusk, and sleep under an insecticide-treated net. The same precautions also reduce dengue.

Sources

Based on CDC Travelers’ Health, CDC Yellow Book, and the Swiss Federal Vaccination Schedule (BAG). Always verify current recommendations before travel.

Visiting more than one country?

Build a combined itinerary and get merged recommendations across all destinations.

Plan an itinerary

This brief is for informational purposes and does not replace personalized medical advice.
Consult a travel medicine specialist 4–8 weeks before departure.