According to the World Health Organization, the re-use of contaminated needles and inadvertent needle sticks are estimated to be responsible for more than 1.3 million deaths annually, infecting people with HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.

 Safe disposal of used needles is a problem, especially in the Third World countries, because used needles and syringes have value.

 This means that when they are improperly disposed of, the world's poorest may see an opportunity to earn an income by collecting and selling these unsecured used syringes and needles. The used needles lie in open garbage cans, or are even thrown out of the window after use, for anyone to collect. It is dangerous, not only for those who pick them up, but also for the patients that will be injected by potentially infectious syringes that are recycled into use.

 Protect yourself against hepatitis B, which is a course of three prior to travel and one a year later.

Road accidents and sports injuries are the commonest mode of transmission, hepatitis B is so infectious it can be transmitted by somebody bleeding on you.  We advise all travelers to take a clean medical kit, containing needles and syringes when abroad www.travelclinic.ltd.uk