Travel health (th) is a specific medical discipline designed to prevent and manage illnesses associated with international travel. TH is usually delivered through primary healthcare (PHC) with support from specialised units and central public health authorities. There is an ever-increasing number of international travellers often visiting destinations with new health risks not known at home. Every effort should be made to protect these travellers against health risks, such as malaria or yellow fever, at their destinations. International travel reached 1.4 billion travellers in 2019.1 As international travel is increasing in popularity, so too is the risk of associated disease outbreak. Known culprits are megacities with high population density, centralised food production, an ageing population and an increasing number of immunocompromised people.2 Concurrently, travellers and migrants may carry with them infections from the countries they visited or moved from and the receiving country must ensure that these infections do not pose a risk to the resident population. Risk of spreading infections by travellers from one country to another is regulated through the International Health Regulations of the World Health Organization (WHO).3 Oman is a culturally diverse country and has a heterogeneous population of around 4.6 million people. Of these, approximately 2.7 million (58.8%) are Omani nationals and 1.9 million (41.2%) are expatriates.4 Omanis, as is the global trend, are travelling across borders more than ever before. Throughout history, Oman and Tanzania and particularly Zanzibar, remain intricately connected locations. East Africa has always been a common travel destination for Omanis and this rise in popularity in international travel is making it even more so; in fact, direct flights from Muscat to Zanzibar have resulted in strengthened trade links. Other common ports of call are Mecca, Saudi Arabia, where many Omanis travel for Hajj and Umrah, and South Asia, particularly India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, home to the large migrant expatriate population who live and work in Oman.5 In addition, many Omanis go for medical tourism especially to Thailand and India. Oman's Ministry of Health (MoH) is in the process of establishing a TH service at a national level; this is part of meeting the needs for national health security, meeting the requirements and preparedness for epidemics and the commitment of the government to reach universal health coverage. Oman has a sophisticated and well-organised PHC system that offers care at no cost to citizens. The system is poised to provide pre-TH care to Omanis looking to travel internationally.5 In this editorial, we will discuss the needs of the population and how the MoH will expand its services to address these requirements

Travel health (th) is a specific medical discipline designed to prevent and manage illnesses associated with international travel. TH is usually delivered through primary healthcare (PHC) with support from specialised units and central public health authorities. There is an ever-increasing...