Health and Safety in Tanzania

Mountain Kingdom has a perfect safety record in over 5 years of operating Kilimanjaro Climbs and safaris in Tanzania.

Below is some general advice to potential Clients.

• Consult your doctor about vaccinations and Malaria prophylaxis.
• Ensure you have a copy of your travel insurance with you.
• If you have a medical condition, declare it to your tour company.
• If you feel unwell tell your safari staff immediately.
• Always obey instructions from your guide / ranger.
• Never get out of a vehicle without your guide's permission.
• Always treat animals with respect.
• If you need to go to the toilet on safari, ask your guide, go behind the car on the road where you can see and be seen. DO NOT enter long grass, there may be a lion there!
• When camping shake out clothes before putting them on.
• Flick off insects in the direction they are moving, DO NOT CRUSH THEM.
• Never put your hands or feet anywhere you cannot see.
• Maintain good levels of personal hygiene.
• Make sure you have enough sun-cream and a wide brimmed hat.
• In the evening where long sleeves and trousers to protect from mosquitoes.
• Use insect repellent.
• Do not walk alone on remote beaches late at night.
• If you need to rest, sit down, or descend, on for example a Kilimanjaro trek, say so, never struggle on in silence!

You should carry your own Basic First Aid Kit (Aspirin for muscular aches and headaches, Paracetamol for headaches and fevers, Vaseline, Crepe bandages, tape and gauze, Melonin dressings, Paratule dressing for burns, Eye drops, ear drops, Iodine tincture or spray, Anti-Diarrhea medicine like Imodium, Diamox for mountain sickness (note a side effect of this drug is a tingling sensation in the extremities), and Antibiotics.

Altitude Sickness results from the inability of the human body to adjust to a rapid gain in altitude. It is best to always allow time to acclimatise. Take an extra day at altitude to get used to it if you can.

It can cause mild cases (headaches, tiredness, nausea) of life threatening Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). AMS can lead to the often fatal Pulmonary and Cerebral Oedemas (Oedema is the accumulation of liquid). A slow steady pace and copious fluid intake (unless oedema is suspected) reduces the severity of Altitude Sickness. Dehydration, even mild, leads to thickening of the blood with increased chance of pulmonary embolism or a thrombosis. Urine should be pale and copious.

The numerous symptoms of AMS include loss of appetite, headache, nausea, vomiting, exhaustion, weakness, a rapid pulse at rest, insomnia, swelling of hands and/or face and low urine output. Climbers with severe symptoms need to stop their ascent and descend to a lower altitude. The drug DIAMOX can sometimes prevent or reduce the severity of AMS. With Pulmonary Oedema, additional symptoms may be noticed - shortness of breath, even at rest, gurgling, bubbly sounds in the chest and sometimes watery blood-tinged sputum. Skin may be cold and clammy, lips and finger nails bluish. With Cerebral Oedema, severe headache, hallucination and lack of co-ordination are additional symptoms. The only treatment is IMMEDIATE DESCENT.

Information and recommendations contained in this section should be regarded as a guide only. More detailed information can be obtained from specialised publications and your Doctor.

For specialist environments on safari (eg Kilimanjaro Climb / Volcano climb / diving) you will be given particular health and safety briefing information nearer the time.

Contact us for further information.