Travelers to these areas should take mefloquine for malaria prevention. A certificate of yellow fever vaccination may be required for entry into certain of these countries if you are coming from a tropical South American or sub-Saharan African country. Dengue, filariasis, and Ross River virus are diseases carried by insects that also occur in this region. Protecting yourself against insect bites will help to prevent these diseases. General Health Information Health care in Australia is comparable to the care one would receive in the United States.
Medical care is provided by private and salaried doctors, and in both public and private hospitals.
The health system is financed by tax monies raised by the Australian federal and state governments, supplemented by private health insurance, and patient copayments. Americans can easily access the Australian health care system. As in the United States, for nonemergency services, all one has to do is contact a primary health care doctor and pay the fee charged for whatever care is provided. The fee is likely to be less than one would pay in the United States. For emergency care they should go to the nearest public acute care hospital which has an emergency department where the appropriate care will be provided and a bill rendered for that care.