Generally, no, and I hope this will help put some of you (dad) at ease. Peace Corps' highest priority is maintaining the good health and safety of its volunteers. Over its nearly 50 year history, the Peace Corps has established effective procedures and policies designed to help Volunteers reduce their health risks and enhance their safety and security. These procedures and policies will be covered extensively during training, and reinforced throughout my service. With that being said, there are certain inherent risks to being a Peace Corps volunteer, and I am expected to take responsibility for my own safety and well-being.
Health:
The old adage “An ounce of prevention … ” becomes extremely important in areas where diagnostic and treatment facilities are not up to the standards of the United States. Peace Corps medical programs emphasize the preventive, rather than curative, approach to disease, and have established precautions to significantly reduce my risk of serious illness or injury. During pre-service training, I will be given basic medical training and information in preventive health measures and minor and major medical issues I may encounter while in Tanzania. Topics include nutrition, mental health, safety and security, setting up a safe living compound, and how to avoid HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). I will also receive a medical handbook and medical kit with supplies to take care of mild illnesses and first aid needs.
The most common health problems in Tanzania are ones that also exist in the United States, such as colds, diarrhea, skin infections, headaches, minor injuries, sexually transmitted diseases, and adjustment disorders. These problems may be more frequent or compounded by life in Tanzania because environmental factors in-country raise the risk of, or exacerbate the severity of, certain illnesses and injuries. Illnesses specific to Tanzania are those typical of other tropical countries, such as malaria*, schistosomiasis**, gastrointestinal disorders, typhoid fever, and hepatitis. All of these are preventable with appropriate knowledge and interventions. I will be vaccinated in-country against hepatitis A and B, meningitis, tetanus, typhoid, and rabies. Other illnesses such as food poisoning, parisitic infections, dysentery, and tapeworms are entirely preventable by taking proper food and water precautions.
Although prevention can go far in protecting my health, I will inevitably get sick. To assist PCVs with their primary healthcare needs, the Peace Corps in Tanzania maintains a clinic with full-time medical officers. Additional medical services, such as testing and basic treatment, are also available at local clinics and regional hospitals. I had to undergo a comprehensive medical evaluation prior to receiving my invitation, and I will undergo a physical examination at mid-service and at the end of my service. If I do develop a serious medical problem during my service and it is determined that my condition cannot be treated in country, I will be sent out of the country (likely to S. Africa or the USA) for further evaluation and care.
The more paranoid of you may be thinking, "But what if you become too sick to reach help?! What if, one fateful day in your village, you are struck with some loathsome, mortal disease and impaired to the point where you can't even cry for assistance, let alone get treatment? What if you fall so ill, you can't endure the nine-hour camel ride to civilization and you die a lonely death in the middle of nowhere?" In truth, most PCVs experience little or no difficulty getting treatment when they need it. In the extremely rare instance when the medicines in the Peace Corps' med kit aren't effective and the volunteer is too sick to transport themselves to the PC clinic or seek help, local friends or neighbors would transport them to a local hospital or clinic. PCVs are afterall far from inconspicuous, and even going a day without speaking to neighbors or being seen around town would cause people to start to wonder and worry; living in a fishbowl certainly has its disadvantages, but being isolated in a time of need is not one of them.
I think this sums it up pretty well: "I was one of the most anal volunteers around when it came to hygiene and attempts to ward off the diseases that commonly afflicted my fellow PCVs. I washed my hands before every meal, I let my clothes dry for three days before wearing them (to kill any mango-fly eggs), I boiled and filtered my water, I took my malaria prophylaxis religiously, I soaked my veggies in iodine before eating them, and so on. Yet, within my two years, I still managed to get giardiasis, bacterial dysentery, amoebas, malaria, chiggers, tumbo worms, fevers, diarrhea, and strange bites, marks, scratches, and rashes that came and went with the winds. I'm not trying to scare you; I only wish to convey to you how common, bearable, and in many ways unavoidable getting sick in the Peace Corps is. In fact PCVs often perceive illnesses as more of an inconvenience and a hot topic of conversation than anything else...[Ultimately], you'll relax and spend two years marveling at the ways your body handles some pretty strange things." - Dillon Banerjee, PC Cameroon 1994-6
On a related note, let's talk about diet and nutrition. No, I will not starve. In fact, don't be surprised if you see pictures of me looking a little plumper than before I left. As a general rule, female PCVs tend to gain weight, while male PCVs tend to lose weight (jerks). Most people attribute this to the fact that in most developing countries, local diets are high in starch and carbohydrates (e.g, yams, potatoes, corn, bread, cassava, noodles, millet, etc.). I've heard that men can metabolize starches and carbs more quickly and efficiently than woman, whose bodies tend to store them as fats. I've also heard that male volunteers are given more leeway to engage in activities that are physically demanding, while females are "pampered" and encouraged to let men handle strenuous chores for them. But regardless of small weight fluctuations, it is possible (and important) to eat a balanced diet - it may just require a little more effort and planning.
*Malaria is an infectious disease spread by mosquitos, and is endemic in most of Tanzania. If left untreated, malaria is life-threatening; between one and three million people die every year in sub-Saharan Africa from the disease. While there is no vaccine for malaria, several drugs used to treat the disease can also be taken preventively; prevention and early recognition of infection are therefore extremely important. I will be required to take malaria prophylaxis, and strongly encouraged to use other preventive measures (such as sleeping under a mosquito net). I will also learn how to recognize the early symptoms of infection, how to make a blood slide diagnosis, and how to treat malaria if I become infected.
**Schistosomiasis is a parasitic infection that can be contracted by swimming or wading in infected water. Lake Victoria and most other freshwater bodies in the country harbor the parasite. Symptoms can take time to develop, so the Peace Corps routinely screens for the infection at the end of Volunteer service.
Safety:
The Peace Corps makes every effort to give Volunteers the tools they need to function in the safest and most secure way possible. The Peace Corps’ approach to safety is a five-pronged plan to help Volunteers stay safe during their two-year service and includes the following: information sharing, Volunteer training, site selection criteria, a detailed emergency action plan, and protocols for addressing safety and security incidents. Not only will the Peace Corps provide me with training and tools to prepare for the unexpected, but also teach me to identify and manage the risks I may encounter.
Safety training is offered throughout my two-year service and is integrated into the language, cross-cultural, health, and other components of training. During the safety training sessions, I will learn appropriate and effective strategies for coping with unwanted attention and about my individual responsibility for promoting safety throughout my service. These include sessions to prepare me for specific safety and security issues in Tanzania, as well as prepare me to adopt a culturally appropriate lifestyle and exercise judgment that promotes safety and reduces risk in my home, at work, and while traveling.
Just as I would do moving to any new city in the US, I am prepared to be cautious, ask questions, learn about my neighborhood, know where risky locations are, use common sense, and be aware. Ultimately, I am responsibile for my own safety; only I can make myself less of a target, ensure that my house is secure, and develop relations in my community that will make me an unlikely victim of crime. My vulnerability to crime will be greatly reduced by learning Swahili, integrating into my community, acting responsibly, and abiding by the Peace Corps policies and procedures.
With that being said, as with anywhere in the world, crime does exist in Tanzania. I will attract a great deal of attention as a foreigner, not to mention the risk associated with living and traveling in an unfamiliar environment (oftentimes alone), having a limited understanding of local language and culture, and being perceived as well-off. Although most volunteers complete their two years of service without personal security incidents, many volunteers do experience petty thefts and burglaries, varying degrees of unwanted attention and harassment, and very rarely, incidents of physical and sexual assault.
If I am the victim of a safety incident, the Peace Corps staff has a number of procedures in place to respond the incident and provide support. Their first priority is to ensure that the Volunteer is safe and receiving medical treatment as needed. After assuring the safety of the Volunteer, Peace Corps staff provide support by reassessing the Volunteer’s work site and housing arrangements, and making any adjustments, as needed. In some cases, the nature of the incident may necessitate a site or housing transfer. Peace Corps staff will also assist Volunteers with preserving their right to pursue legal sanctions against the perpetrators of a crime.
Also note that the Peace Corps generally tries to limit its programs to countries that are socially and politically stable. However, some areas of the world are more prone to crises, which can arise without much warning and escalate rather quickly. In the event of civil or political unrest or a natural disaster, I will also be trained in Peace Corps/Tanzania’s detailed emergency action plan (EAP).
