Tanzania has a long history of political stability and is a safe country in which to travel, work or study. The Department of State website provides detailed information about travel to Tanzania (safety, health, and travel in the country).
Tanzania is currently not on the US State Department Travel Alert or Travel Warning List. However, all students will be required to enroll in STEP (Smart Traveler Enrollment Program) prior to their travel, in case of emergency situations.
In Case of Emergencies
Health insurance: all students will carry the IU group insurance, which is included in the field costs.
Emergency medical services: the AMREF flying doctors provides air ambulance evacuation and emergency medical service in Tanzania. The charity organization has many years of experience in medical emergency evacuation in very remote areas of Africa. In case of emergency a patient will be evacuated to the nearest referral hospitals in Nairobi, Arusha or Kilimanjaro as recommended by the flying doctors crew. There is an airstrip in Ngorongoro that is accessible by car (˜35 minutes drive from Olduvai).
We have established a layered system of communication that can be used to effectively act on emergency issues. For life-threatening emergencies we will contact the flying doctors by satellite phone.
For illness or injuries a patient will be rushed to the Fame Medical clinic in Karatu (a small town located approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes away from the basecamp) where the doctors on staff can assess the risk of illness and whether it needs medical attention back home.
Each field school participant is required to subscribe for membership in AMREF before leaving home. This is NOT included in the field costs. The membership is $16/month for a package that includes 2 air ambulance evacuations.
