MedAire Upgrades Annual Global Map with Safety Concerns

Global aviation medical and safety travel services provider MedAire has partnered with Control Risks, an international business risk consultancy, to upgrade its Health Risk Map, which the International SOS subsidiary has published for the past five years. For the first time, in the 2016 edition, the document, renamed the Travel Risk Map, displays both the medical and safety risk ratings for each country. It is the first in the industry to do so, claims the company.

The map assigns travel risks for countries ranging from extreme to insignificant, while medical risks span low to “rapidly developing variable risk.” An interactive version lets users click on any country to get more detailed information. According to MedAire, analysis using the map shows that nearly one in three trips abroad are to countries with a higher medical or security risk than the travelers’ home country.

“The reality is there are risks everywhere in the world," said Andrew Nicholson, MedAire’s global security director. "Understanding what those risks are and then taking appropriate precautions is the best way for travelers to make informed decisions about overseas travel and prepare for possible risks at destination.”