Health & Safety

BCA is always concerned with the safety and well-being of our students.

Prior to departing for The Gambia, BCA students will undergo a thorough pre-trip orientation session to prepare them for the physical, emotional and mental rigors of spending time in a society and country so different from the U.S. BCA will provide students with cultural and health and safety information to help inform them of what they may expect once in The Gambia.

Medical Insurance

BCA requires that all students have major medical insurance before going abroad. We will ask you to supply policy information on the BCA Certificate of Health signed by you and your doctor. You must contact your insurance provider before going abroad to ensure that you are covered while abroad and to learn the procedures to follow if you need medical services.

Obtaining Medical Services in Brikama

Students will have access to medical personnel and facilities at all times during their time in The Gambia. One of the country’s two major medical centers is located in Brikama. This facility is a major medical center and receives urgent case referrals from regional medical centers. They provide all necessary services for any average medical situation. If an extremely serious condition occurred, we would evacuate the student to either Dakar, Senegal or to Ghana, depending on International SOS recommendations.

Staying Safe

While you are abroad, it is important to follow the same common-sense safety precautions that you follow at home: never walk alone at night, keep doors locked, do not allow strangers into your housing, and never leave bags or backpacks unattended.

Safety for foreigners is generally quite good in The Gambia. Tourism provided 59% of their GDP in 2008 along with foreign banking. Therefore the police, local citizens and government officials take the safety of such individuals quite seriously. For instance, tourist taxis must meet strict guidelines for safety and police checkpoints enforce these if they see obvious foreigners in the car. Street violence, violent crime and political demonstrations that turn violent are extremely rare in spite of the current President’s hold on power. As the International SOS report on The Gambia states:

There are no known terrorist groups
The crime rate in The Gambia is low compared with most industrialized countries
Protests in The Gambia are rare

Like in many developing countries, petty street crime is a problem in The Gambia. Students are advised to be careful of pickpockets in crowded market areas and on ferries. Otherwise, the standard common sense precautions should be followed: Lock doors when not at home, don’t leave valuables accessible in public spaces and travel with other people if out at night.

Special Concerns

Currently, The Gambia does not require vaccinations but all travelers are recommended to get vaccinations for Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Yellow Fever and Typhoid. All students are required to have had tetanus shots before going to The Gambia.

Malaria is a concern in The Gambia, and students must take precautions. The best resources are websites such as http://www.cdc.gov and http://www.internationalsos.com, where you may read the most up-to-date information regarding malaria and other potential maladies that they might encounter in The Gambia. There are several anti-malarial medications that students may take: Metholoquin, Doxycyclin, and Malaron. There may be side effects associated with each medication, and students are strongly advised to discuss these with a travel medicine physician. Such medications, especially Doxycyclin, can be obtained in The Gambia for a much lower cost. You are advised to bring initial medications with you and then buy additional supplies after arrival. BCA will also provide mosquito nets for students’ beds. Gambian physicians and nurses have a great deal of experience in treating people with malaria, so access to qualified anti-malarial treatment on site will not be an issue.

With 90% Muslim population, Gambian women generally are not subjected to a lot of public harassment on the street, with one exception. In beach and tourist areas men locally known as “bumsters,” approach females with the intent to “just to get to know you” or offer to be tour guides. Bumsters often use romance in hopes of gaining money and other assistance, or in the hope of departing The Gambia through marriage to a Westerner. They can be quite persistent in following or continuing to talk to women who have already indicated that they do not wish to interact. Gambian culture does not approve of or condone the actions of bumsters, but it also does not approve completely ignoring the bumster as one might be inclined to do. In general a humorous approach of answering bumsters’ questions in ways that disrupt their routine works best to discourage them. You will not be living in tourist areas where bumsters frequent, but we will advise you on techniques to respond if approached.

From US State department country report on The Gambia found at: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5459.htm

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inquiry@bcaabroad.org

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