Tanzania

Country

Political status: Republic Fertility rate: 5 children born/woman
President: Samia Suluhu Hassan Life expectancy: 66 years
Surface: 945.087 km² Infant mortality: 36/1000 births
Language: English and Swahili Doctor/patient ratio: 1:20.000
Population: 62 million HIV prevalence: 4.8% (15-49 years)

Itinerary

  1. Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO)
  2. Arusha
  3. Tarangire NP
  4. Magugu
  5. Karatu
  6. Ngorongoro Conservation Area
  7. Karatu
  8. Lake Eyasi
  9. Karatu
  10. Arusha
  11. Zanzibar

Participants travel on tarmac- (500 km) and maram roads (400 km) in a bus and comfortable 4 x 4 Land-Cruisers (extended version) with experienced English-speaking drivers. The section Arusha – Zanzibar (500 km) is by air.

Curriculum

Schistosomiasis, lymphatic filariasis, malaria,  amoebiasis, typhoid fever, shigellosis, cholera, brucellosis, leprosy, HIV/AIDS and related opportunistic infections, Dengue Fever, Chikungunya Fever, West Nile Virus, Ebola, occupational medicine in the tropics, DD of fever and diarrhoea in the tropics, poisonous snakes, traditional medicine, medical botany, laboratory diagnosis for tropical infectious diseases.

Teaching CME Hours
Ward rounds and case presentations 20
Field excursions 15
Laboratory manuals 10
Lectures and round-table discussions 15
Total CME Hours 60

Program sequence (click every single day)

Day 1
  Arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport and transfer to Elewna Arusha Coffee Lodge, Arusha (60 km)
23.00 Briefing on the TROPMEDEX excursion (Dr. Schaefer) Meeting point: Reception at Elewana Arusha Coffee Lodge
Day 2
  Drive to Father Babu Hospital, Arusha (10 km)
08.00-09.00 Lecture: DD of diarrhoea in the tropics (Dr. Schaefer)
09.15-10.15 Lecture: Update on HIV/AIDS in Africa (Dr. Mushi & Dr. Schaefer)
10.15-12.15 Rounds in St. Elizabeth hospital: Focus on diarrhoea and on HIV/AIDS (Dr. Christina)
13.00-15.00 Laboratory manuals: Diagnosis of parasites in the stool (Dr. Emmanuel)
  Drive to Elewana Arusha Coffee Lodge, Arusha (10 km)
16.00-17.00 Field excursion: Occupational Health in the Elewana Coffee Estate, Arusha (Dr. Nassor)
Day 3
  Drive to the Old Seliani Hospital (20 km)
09.00-10.00 Lecture: DD of fever in the tropics (Dr. Schaefer)
10.15-11.15 Lecture: Update on malaria (Dr. Schaefer & Dr. Amon)
11.15-14.15 Rounds on the paediatric ward in the Old Selian hospital focusing on patients with fever (Prof. Steve Swanson)
15.00-18.00 Field excursion to the Flying Medical Service (FMS). Medical care in rural areas of Tanzania (Dr. Pat Patten)
  Drive to Elewana Arusha Coffee Lodge, Arusha (20 km)
 
Day 4
07.00-08.00 Lecture: Update on African snake bites (Dr. Schaefer)
  Drive to Meserani Snake Park Clinic (30 km)
09.30-10.30 Field excursion in Meserani Snake Park (Dr. Rashid)
11.00-13.00 Rounds: Patients with poisonous snake bites in Meserani Snake Park Clinic (Dr. Jenny)
  Drive to Tarangire National Park (50 km)
15.30-17.30 Field excursion in Tarangire National Park: Habitat of the Tsetse fly (vector) and antelopes (reservoir of Trypanosomiasis rhodesiense). Prevention and control of sleeping sickness (Dr. Mofulu)
  Drive to Octagon Lodge, Karatu (80 km)
 
Day 5
07.00-08.00 Lecture: Update on Ebola (Dr. Schaefer)
08.15-10.15 Rounds in Fame hospital: Focus on patients with sepsis and sickle cell anaemia (Dr. Artress)
10.15-14.15 Laboratory manuals: Thin and thick blood film for the diagnosis of malaria, African trypanosomiasis and lymphatic filariasis, Fame hospital (Dr. Anthony)
  Drive to Lake Eyasi (50 km)
15.30-17.30 Field excursion to the Hadza tribe. Traditional medicine among the bushmen tribe around Lake Eyasi (David Barjeda)
  Drive to Octagon Lodge, Karatu (50 km)
Day 6
  Drive to Endulen hospital in Ngorongoro Conservation area (80 km)
08.30-09.30 Lecture: Update on Dengue Fever (Dr. Schaefer)
09.45-10.45 Lecture: Update on brucellosis (Dr. Schaefer)
11.00-15.00 Rounds in Endulen hospital focusing on Maasai patients with brucellosis, malaria and TB (Dr. Eeditha)
15.30-17.30 Laboratory manuals: Diagnosis of brucellosis, malaria and TB (Dr. Mameso)
  Drive to Octagon Lodge, Karatu (80 km)
Day 7
  Drive to Arusha Airport (150 km)
  Economy flight from Arusha to Zanzibar (500 km)
  Drive to Mangrove Lodge, Mawambini Beach (30 km)
Day 8
08.00-09.00 Lecture: Update on leprosy (Dr. Schaefer)
09.15-10.15 Lecture: Update on lymphatic filariasis (Dr. Schaefer)
  Drive to Kizimkazi/Dimbani (50 km)
12.00-14.00 Rounds in Kizimkazi Health Center: Patients with lymphatic filariasis and leprosy (Dr. Fatma & Dr. Saada)
  Drive to Jambiani (20 km)
15.00-16.00 Field excursion: Malaria control project in Jambiani (Dr. Yako)
  Drive to Mangrove Lodge Mawambini Beach (60 km)
 
Day 9
09.00-10.00 Lecture: Update on schistosomiasis (Dr. Schaefer)
10.15-11.15 Lecture: Prevention and control of bilharzia in Zanzibar (Dr. Simba)
  Drive to Kinyasini (30 km)
13.00-15.00 Field excursion: to schistosomiasis transmission sites and a school in Kinyasini (Dr. Simba and Dr. Ali)
  Drive to Stone Town (40 km)
16.00-18.00 Laboratory manuals: Diagnosis of schistosomiasis in the bilharzia prevention and control center, Stone Town (Dr. Ali)
  Drive to Mangrove Lodge, Mawambini Beach (10 km)
Day 10
  Drive to Global Health Hospital, Stone Town (10 km)
08.00-09.00 Lecture: Update on cholera (Dr. Schaefer)
10.00-15.00 Rounds in Global Health Hospital, Stone Town. Patients with tropical infectious diseases (Dr. Ali Salin)
  Drive to Mangrove Lodge, Mawambini Beach (10 km)
Day 11
  Drive to Jozani Forest Reserve (60 km)
09.00-12.00 Field excursion: Guided visit to the Jozani Forest Reserve: Medical Botany (Mr. Shabaan)
  Drive to the International Airport, Stone Town (60 km)
  Changes may occur without prior notice

Accommodation

Travel preparation

Health

You should be in good health and fit.

Vaccinations: You need to be vaccinated against yellow fever. Custom officials check upon arrival your yellow vaccination booklet. It is highly recommended to be vaccinated againt polio, diphtheria, tetanus, typhoid and hepatitis A and to take malaria prophylaxis (malarone or doxycycline). Check wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/tanzania.

Carry essential medicine with you, and if you like, bring masks, syringes, gloves etc., which are always in need in hospitals! If asked at the customs on arrival, explain that the medicines are for “private use“.

Tourist Visa
Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months. Keep copies of the relevant pages of your passport separately. Two months before departure I will send you information where and how to apply for the tourist visa (Single entry). Until then you don’t do anything.
Luggage
light trousers hand sanitizer
jeans mouth-nose-mask
shorts/skirt mosquito repellent
shirts sun cream
t-shirts flashlight
light sweater alarm clock
light impermeable wind jacket universal travel adapter
comfortable sport shoes with proper soles light rucksack
slippers bathing suit
sunglasses small umbrella
hat

Should be packed in a soft, lockable travel bag (not bulky suitcase). Maximum luggage weight is 15 kg per person. You don’t need a mosquito net, white coat or stethoscope.

Medical literature

Oxford Handbook of Tropical Medicine, Robert Davidson et al., Oxford University Press, 5th Edition, December 2021, ISBN: 0198810857

Amazon

Travel guide
Tanzania, Lonely Planet Travel Guide, 7th revised edition, June 2018, ISBN-13:  9781786575623, www.lonelyplanet.com
Laundry
Service is provided in all hotels.
Money
It is recommended to carry approximately US$ 400,- cash (bills dated after 2010) for meals, drinks, tips and personal expenses. You can withdraw Tanzania Shillings cash with your VISA-credit card (don’t forget your pin number!) from ATM machines in Tanzania. Other credit cards are less popular.
Insurance
You should have your own comprehensive travel insurance (health, accident, baggage, cancellation etc.) www.worldnomads.com.
Internet, Mobile phone
Wireless is offered in some hotels. Mobile phones (Vodafone) work here as well.
Airlines to Tanzania

Book the open yaw flight as follows:  arrive at the latest 3 hours before the start of the excursion at  Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) and depart not sooner than 3 hours after the end of  the excursion from Zanzibar International Airport (ZNZ).

  • 1st December 2024, excursion starts at 23.00 pm
  • 11th December 2024, excursion finishes at 12.00 am

Many airlines (KLM, Turkish, Emirates, Qatar, Ethiopian etc.) fly to JRO and ZNZ.

The flight from Arusha to Zanzibar is included in the tuition fee.

Airport transfer

A free airport shuttle is provided from Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) to Elewana Arusha Coffee Lodge in Arusha (60 km). The taxi driver will wait for you in the arrival hall of the airport building holding a blackboard with your name. The transfer takes about 45-60 minutes, depending on the traffic.