🇲🇷 Mauritania Healthcare Guide
Nouakchott has a small number of clinics, with Centre Hospitalier National being the main facility, but healthcare is limited and specialist care often requires evacuation to Morocco or Senegal. The vast desert interior has almost no medical infrastructure. Yellow Fever vaccination is required. Carrying your full medication supply and a personal medical kit, along with having your medical summary saved in French or Arabic and accessible offline, means you're self-sufficient for trips into the Adrar or Tagant regions where the nearest hospital may be a full day's drive back to Nouakchott.
Quick facts
- Emergency number: 112
- Healthcare system: limited
- Average GP visit: $15 USD
- EHIC/GHIC accepted: No
- Language barrier: medium
Healthcare overview
Centre Hospitalier National in Nouakchott is Mauritania’s main hospital, with private clinics providing slightly more reliable care. Healthcare outside Nouakchott is very limited. The Saharan north (Atar, Chinguetti, the Adrar Plateau) has basic clinics at best. The iron ore towns of Zouerat and Choum have mining-supported basic facilities. GP visits at private clinics cost $10–25.
Saharan remoteness
The Adrar Plateau and northern desert destinations (Chinguetti, Ouadane) are far from any hospital. Carry medical supplies for self-sufficiency.
Nouakchott as sole hub
Nearly all functional healthcare is in Nouakchott. Provincial and desert facilities provide minimal services.
Vaccinations
Required
- Yellow Fever
Recommended
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Typhoid
- Malaria prophylaxis
- Meningitis
- Rabies
Prescriptions and pharmacies
Nouakchott has pharmacies with basic medications following French and Moroccan conventions. Stock is limited. Carry your complete supply for any travel outside the capital, particularly for Saharan destinations.
Desert travel supply
There are no pharmacies between Nouakchott and Saharan destinations. Bring everything you need, including rehydration supplies.
Tips for travellers
Specialist care within Mauritania is very limited. For complex conditions, Dakar (Senegal, accessible by road or air) and Casablanca (Morocco, by air) are the nearest referral options. Having your treatment plan accessible in French or Arabic covers both destinations.
Dakar and Casablanca options
Dakar is closer (road or air); Casablanca offers Morocco’s stronger specialist system by direct flight.