Textbook of Maritime Medicine

Preventative medical care, such as cancer screening or health counselling often is not available to seafarers while on duty. The Maritime Labour Convention 2006 requires that flag states offer preventative services to their national seafarers. In many instances these services are not available to the seafarer, neither in their home country nor while on duty. Some countries do offer governmental preventative health services to seafarers such as vaccinations or diagnosis or treatment of sexually transmitted diseases to protect the public health. Very rarely the seafarer has qualified access to health counselling which covers a broader scope of known health risks such as stress reduction, smoking cessation, nutrition beside communicable disease control. Ideally, the port clinic may offer information, counselling and anonymous testing of sexually transmitted diseases in cooperation with public health services. Information tailored to the needs of seafarers is available from the International Seafarers Welfare Committee.