Health care is not developed in Nouakchott. Smaller places do not even have a basic health centre. It is advised that visitors have the best possible conditions in your traveller's insurance before you set out. Water is not fresh and it is best that travellers carry their own water. Tropical diseases represent only a small problem in the north, but beware in the south. Hepatitis, malaria, tuberculosis, and brucellosis, are diseases of Mauritania, but are quite rare. The major threat to your health is bad vehicles, being used fearlessly in the desert and on narrow roads. Another major problem faced by tourists is the lack of potable water in certain areas.