« Every year, more than 20 % of the adult French population makes at least one trip abroad and 2 to 3% of the French are expatriates », reminds Dominique Jeannel, from the Institut de veille sanitaire (Institute of sanitary watch) to present his survey on the health of 7.600 travellers published on June 13th juin in the Bulletin épidémiologique hebdomadaire (weekly epidemiological bulletin). By analysing the death of French travellers during their stays abroad between 2000 and 2004, the work of Jeannel emphasizes that "causes of death of travellers abroad are (almost) no longer of infectious origin but rather accidental and cardio-vascular ", writes Eric Caumes, President of the Société de Médecine des Voyages, in the editorial of the review. This doctor from the Université Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris) specifies that " mortality of migrants while abroad -evaluated at 0.3%- is mainly due to street accidents ".

Over 5.000 French died abroad in 2002 and in 2003, according to the Foreign Affairs Ministry. Transportation accidents represent 28% of the causes of death and accidents occured during "every-day activities" (leasures...) 18%. In total, those accidents (transport, drowning, mountain...) represent almost one death out of two. This proportion of accidents is "higher than expected", explains Mr Jeannel, stating the « significant number of death by drowning (6,5%) ». Then come the cardiovascular pathologies : 30% of death are of cardiovascular origin. "Such proportion is much higher than expected" notes Mr Jeannel. It could be the consequence of the rising age of travellers. Intentional acts represent 3,2% of death outside France, « such proportion of suicides is lower than expected. On the other hand, the share of homicides is clearly higher», indicates the author. Infectious diseases only represent 1,4% of death, according to the assistance companies statistics for 2002-2004 repatriations. Their decrease is due to prophylaxy : immunizations, chimioprophylaxies and hygiene. « Malaria is the only notable tropical pathology ».

source :Bulletin épidémiologique hebdomadaire, BEH, n° 23-24, 13 juin 2006, 23 pages.