Hi, For those who travel often in foreign countries, you know that the key to staying healthy while on travel is prevention and good planning. Infections and diseases can occur, so the traveler needs to be ready for them. But medications can be hard to find. You may want to give the traveler in your family or circle of friends this International Travel Health Kit from Magellan.

Planning well for the medicines you might need will save you a lot of hassle later. You would want to bring medications in clearly labeled containers, in convenient doses, and complete with dosage instructions. If you must carry prescription medicine, it is good to have a signed letter from your physician that describes your medical conditions and the medicines (with generic names) you need to take. The International Travel Health Kit already contains common medicines that may be needed, such as acetaminophen/paracetamol, antihistamines and anti-inflammatory medicines.

You should endeavor to complete the International Travel Health Kit with other medicines you might need. If you need to bring syringes or needles, you must have a physician’s letter attesting to their medical necessity. The clear pockets of the kit will make it easy for you to present them for inspection during airport security checks; with the letters from your physician, you should have no trouble.

Perhaps you will want to combine this International Travel Health Kit with a travel first aid kit to make it more complete. If you browse around in our Web site, you might also find other safety product ideas for gift-giving this holiday season. Safety is for all seasons. Life has no reset button, think safety.

• Child Safety :

Child Safety ID Cards help authorities easily and quickly establish positive identification of your child. The KidsTravelCard contains your name and contact telephone numbers, an additional emergency contact with phone number, your child's specific personal information, as well as any vital personal or medical information you feel might be important to include. It comes with a soft cloth "break-away" lanyard for comfort and safety.

• Food Safety Issues :

Food safety is receiving more attention worldwide with the rising incidence of foodborne disease, concern over new potential hazards, and growth in agricultural trade. Investments to improve food safety in developing countries can reduce the burden of disease and remove the barriers to fresh food product exports, providing another source of income for the rural sector. International disputes over sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures influence the ability of developing countries to compete in export markets. These countries need to evaluate their interest in the SPS agreement under the World Trade Organisation (WTO); participate more fully in international agencies responsible for harmonisation; develop the capacity to assess equivalence for process standards, which are increasingly used for fresh food products; and resist the imposition of inappropriate standards.

Minding your diet can be extremely difficult while traveling. Late nights, fast food, hotel rooms and the glow of vending machine lights can leave your healthy lifestyle miles away. Plus, finding the time to work out can be equally challenging. Fitness weblog 60 in 3 sheds some light on how you can keep from packing on the pounds while traveling for business or pleasure. 60 in 3's tips start with the airplane and cover the hotel and business meals.

Take off and stay fit with these tips for a smoother trip

Rich or poor, no one can actually afford to get ill while traveling. Planes, trains, automobiles — and the destinations they service — are full of potential health hazards. Just answering the boarding call and observing the fasten seatbelt sign raises the risk of death by deep vein thrombosis or a killer flu. Of course, not all health pitfalls while traveling will buy you a one-way ticket to the hereafter. Most will just ruin your vacation. You'll almost certainly recover, but it may be just in time to endure the plane ride home.

Watch out for crazy drivers; don't forget to get up and stretch when you're on the plane; and for goodness sake, beware the fruit salad — some of these pitfalls may seem like no-brainers, but sometimes overlooking the littlest things can trip you up.

Dr. Joseph Mulvehill, M.D., a New York-based physician who specializes in travel medicine, notes that "people often transpose their own healthcare template onto that of the country they're visiting." In essence travelers assume things will be quick and easy — this is rarely the case. No one wants to waste precious time seeking out a suitable doctor, followed by hours holed up in a waiting room, just for the sake of an impromptu examination or prescription. "Travelers from comparatively clean countries like the U.S. are far more likely to fall ill," says Dr. Mulvehill. "We live in a relatively germ-free world, so when we travel our bodies react far quicker to the different bacteria."

With today's board meetings just as likely to be held in Calcutta as Cincinnati, it's no surprise that frequent flyers are increasingly mindful of the world's more exotic illnesses. Beyond passport control is a host of diseases like yellow fever, rabies and Japanese Encephalitis that we rarely come in contact with on home turf. Occasionally the eradication programs themselves can trip up unwary souls. "Some countries demand a certificate of vaccination against yellow fever before they grant entry," says Dr. Mulvehill. "If you don't have it they might force you to be vaccinated right there in immigration."

A common misconception is the idea that high thread-count and a concierge can protect against Montezuma's Revenge. "Remember, behind the façade of a luxury hotel, the conditions under which your food is prepared might not be five star," warns Dr. Randy Wroble. As team physician for the Columbus Blue Jackets, he's had a lot of experience keeping elite hockey players performing at their peak. He suggests if you want to be absolutely sure of your stomach, take your own food or only eat American-style — but, really, where's the fun in that?

Even non-athletes need to be on their game on the road. There are unfamiliar cities, timetables to decipher, scams and hucksters and myriad opportunities to slip up. "It's doubly important for parents to stay alert," claims Dr. Laura Jana M.D., a pediatrician and co-author of "Heading Home With Your Newborn." "As an adult traveling with children, you have to be able to make decisions and be in charge. Sleeping pills may help you nod off but you're less likely to know if your kids are lost or having an asthma attack or something," she says. When it comes to children, good planning will reward everyone with greater sanity. "It's best if the primary care giver plans the trip and packs for the kids. That way they're more likely to take into account those really small, seemingly insignificant, details. They can become a really big deal when no one gets any sleep because baby's favorite blanket wasn't packed," she says.

Travel Safety and Security

► Identify and Evaluate Risks and Vulnerabilities

A comprehensive risk assessment and vulnerability analysis conducted by CMA experts will identify your traveler’s exposures to life threatening incidents. We will look at all aspects of the location, travelers, and the purpose of the travel to ensure the development of appropriate risk reduction strategies.

► Evaluating Travel Safety and Emergency Response Elements

Our staff members are well versed in travel safety planning, and include experts in security, emergency medical, and international travel among others. Our multi-disciplinary team will conduct a review of existing travel safety elements to determine whether the location has appropriate plans in place to deal with potentially life threatening incidents.

► Planning for Emergencies

CMA staff will develop comprehensive emergency response plans for the travel. Plans will be customized to the travelers and the location. Furthermore, because staff performance is critical to the success of emergency response, the customization of these plans includes working through roles and responsibilities of management and employees before an incident occurs.

► Training

Ongoing training is an essential part of ensuring your staff is prepared to manage any emergency that may arise from the travel. From preparing travelers for the trip, to coaching crisis management team personnel in responding to an actual incident, CMA can provide on-site training to prepare your staff. This training will prepare them to implement proactive intervention strategies to mitigate risk and deal efficiently and effectively with any emergency.

► Exercises / Drills

Presenting challenges from real world events, our team can develop and present tabletop drills and full-scale exercises to enhance your staff’s preparedness for emergencies.

► Emergency Response Team

CMAs Emergency Response Team is on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to provide emergency assistance. With a highly trained multi-functional team, CMA can assist your organization with the total management of an incident. From arranging for specific crisis response actions to dealing with employee and family issues, we are prepared to aid in the restoration of normalcy to the workplace.

► Crisis Communications Assistance

Your company’s future may depend upon its reputation. The message sent to employees, the public, and other stakeholders by your handling of a crisis may reflect on how you manage your company. Without effective execution of internal and external communications, even a well-managed crisis response may be cast in a negative light. CMA experts can help your organization ensure the most appropriate message is sent to your key audiences.

Travel Health and Safety

Traveling is a wonderful way for families to relax together, spend time together and even learn together! Yet staying healthy and safe away from home is not always easy. A little knowledge can go a long way in giving you peace of mind for handling weather, emergencies and even common illnesses when away form home. Here's some helpful info to get you on your way.

Safety Tips

o Before leaving on your holiday remind children about your family safety procedures for dealing with strangers, what to do if they get lost.
o Keep a recent photo of children handy, also a photocopy of passports kept in a safe place or with a relative that can fax it to you in case of loss.
o If you label children's clothing, make sure the label is inside so strangers are not able to learn child's name.
o A single parent travelling with children should ensure that permission from other parent is readily available for authorities (this is to prevent one parent abductions). This is especially important for air/train or cross border travel.
o Always ensure one parent is in charge of keeping an eye on children and perhaps other parent can look after arrangements for travel.
o Dressing children in bright colours makes them readily visible. Try to remember what they are wearing.
o Consider using a harness for toddlers, especially in busy places like airports, attractions.
o Remind children about road safety rules, hold the hand of children under nine at all times when crossing a road or at an intersection.
o Remind older children to always tell you where they are going
o Wash hands regularly.
o Make sure that you have required documentation when visiting a foreign country - for US citizens see http://travel.state.gov /foreignentryreqs.html for requirements. For Canadian Citizens check http://voyage.dfait- maeci.gc.ca/destinations /menu_e.htm This site lists travel advisories and entry requirements by clicking on the maps.
o Review your home address, telephone number and provide your children with the name, address and telephone number of a relative or friend to contact in an emergency.
o Provide a relative or friend with your travel itinerary and the name and telephone number of any hotels or resorts where you will be staying, if available.
o Ensure that all occupants of any vehicles are properly secured and that there are no large or heavy items in the vehicle that may injure the occupants at any sudden stops. See the link below for more information on car safety.
o Never leave children alone in a car, temperatures can rise rapidly in a parked car. Click the image to view article.
o If travelling by air, make sure all family members are secured by the safety belts when seated. Also see the travel news item on air travel with young children.

Airplane Safety

o When using highchairs in restaurants, make sure that children are secured by waist and middle strap.
o Keep candles on the table out of reach of children.
o Remind children to stay away from all animals.
o Avoid latex balloons, small toys and hard pieces of food due to the risk of choking.
o Keep medicines and poisons away from small children and watch that children don't eat any plants.
o If you are bringing or plan on using bicycles while on vacation make sure all family members are biking safely .
All tips are offered as suggestions only. While we have tried to provide you with a list of suggestions to help parents when travelling with children to keep them safe, unfortunately, we can’t think of everything and it is the responsibility of parents to ensure their children’s safety.

Air Travel Safety Tips

Air travel with an infant or child is difficult. However, advance preparation and following some simple tips can make air travel with infants and children easier and more enjoyable. Remember, it is your family vacation and you do have control over many aspects of your baby travel experience.

Air travel with an infant typically is safe. However, there are medical and safety issues to consider. A doctor may advise against unnecessary air travel during the first two weeks of life, when a newborn's body is still adjusting to life outside the uterus — and is especially vulnerable to the germs that circulate in the aircraft's recycled air.

Parents may worry that air travel will hurt their child's ears. But the effects of flying on an infant's ears are the same as for an adult's ears. Changing cabin pressure causes temporary changes in middle ear pressure, which can result in pain. Sucking helps equalize the pressure in the ears. For this reason, feeding the infant during takeoff and landing may help. If your baby isn't hungry, try offering a pacifier.

An infant with a recent ear infection may be very uncomfortable when flying. Check with your child's doctor before leaving if you have concerns. Your doctor may provide you with pain-relieving eardrops, in case your baby experiences ear pain.

Some parents worry that air travel increases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). This concern may stem from an old (1998) British Medical Journal report in which researchers tested the effect of lowered oxygen — such as in a pressurized airplane cabin — on infants and found that irregular breathing was more common. However, there's no evidence that air travel causes SIDS.

If you travel on an airplane with an infant, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that you place the child in a rear-facing child safety seat that's properly installed and secured in the seat next to yours. Most child safety seats are certified for air travel. Check the label if you're not sure. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, child safety seats shouldn't exceed 16 inches wide for the best fit in aircraft seats — especially in smaller commuter aircraft. If you can, choose a bulkhead seat and avoid being seated in emergency exit rows.

To make air travel easier with your infant, pack a teething ring, pacifier, special blanket or stuffed animal, and age-appropriate toys (such as rattles or plastic rings) and books in your carry-on bag. If your baby is fussy during the flight, taking a brief walk up and down the aisle may help.

Consular Affairs Brochures

• Sending Money Overseas to a U.S. Citizen in an Emergency
• A Safe Trip Abroad
• Foreign Entry Requirements
• Passports the Easy Way
• International Financial Scams
• Help for American Victims of Crime Overseas

International Adoption/International Child Abduction

• International Adoption
• International Parental Child Abduction