Water used for drinking, brushing teeth or making ice should have first been boiled or otherwise sterilised. Milk is pasteurised and dairy products are safe for consumption. Only eat well-cooked meat and fish, preferably served hot. Vegetables should be cooked and fruit peeled.

Vaccinations against tuberculosis and hepatitis B are sometimes advised.

The health service does, in theory, provide free medical treatment for all citizens and travellers who become ill. However, as in most parts of the former Soviet Union, health care is a serious problem. For minor difficulties, visitors are advised to ask the management at their hotels for help. For major problems, visitors are well advised to seek help outside the country. The UK and Ukraine have a bilateral agreement on emergency medical treatment, so UK travellers should not need to pay an insurance levy on arrival. Travel insurance is strongly recommended however. It is advisable to take a supply of those medicines that are likely to be required (but check first that they may be legally imported) as medicines can prove difficult to obtain. Travellers are advised to contact their embassy, in the first instance, for advice on where to get medical help.