🇨🇻 Cape Verde Healthcare Guide
Hospital Agostinho Neto on Santiago and Hospital Baptista de Sousa on Sao Vicente are Cape Verde's two main facilities, and both handle most emergencies adequately for an island nation. The smaller islands — Sal, Boa Vista, Fogo — have only small health centres, and serious cases require an inter-island transfer. If you're island-hopping, carrying your full medication supply and having your medical summary available in Portuguese — the language of the healthcare system — covers you across an archipelago where the nearest hospital may be a flight away.
Quick facts
- Emergency number: 112
- Healthcare system: mixed
- Average GP visit: $15 USD
- EHIC/GHIC accepted: No
- Language barrier: medium
Healthcare overview
Hospital Agostinho Neto in Praia (Santiago) is Cape Verde’s main hospital, with Hospital Baptista de Sousa in Mindelo (São Vicente) as the secondary facility. Other islands have small health centres. Cape Verde’s 10 islands spread across 600 km of ocean, and inter-island transfer for medical emergencies depends on domestic flights. Tourist islands like Sal and Boa Vista have clinics for minor care; serious cases transfer to Praia or Mindelo.
Inter-island medical logistics
Transferring between islands requires domestic flights, which can be affected by weather or scheduling. Sal and Boa Vista have clinics but not hospitals.
Portuguese-language system
Cape Verde’s medical system operates in Portuguese. Having your health details available in Portuguese speeds up any hospital interaction.
Vaccinations
Recommended
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Typhoid
Prescriptions and pharmacies
Praia and Mindelo have pharmacies following Portuguese pharmaceutical conventions. Other islands have limited pharmacy access. Carry your full medication supply, particularly for stays on Sal, Boa Vista, or Santo Antão, where pharmacy options are sparse.
Tourist island pharmacy limits
Sal and Boa Vista have basic pharmacies. If you need specific medications, confirm availability or bring from home.
Tips for travellers
Hospital Agostinho Neto provides basic specialist care. For complex conditions, Lisbon (Portugal) is the traditional referral destination, with an established patient transfer pathway. Dakar (Senegal) is geographically closer but Portuguese-language continuity makes Lisbon the more practical option. Having your treatment plan accessible in Portuguese covers the full care chain.
Lisbon referral pathway
Cape Verde has an established medical referral relationship with Portugal. Lisbon hospitals regularly receive Cape Verdean patients for specialist treatment.