Prepare Your Friends and Family

Volunteer Health

Probably the greatest concern families have is for the health of their loved ones in the Peace Corps. As the family member of a Volunteer, you should know that your loved one's health and safety are the Peace Corps' highest priority.

The medical evaluation process places each Volunteer in a country that has adequate medical facilities to accommodate that Volunteer's health care needs.

In every country in which Volunteers serve, the Peace Corps has a basic medical unit and medical provider. They brief Volunteers on staying healthy and provide them with the basic medical skills and supplies needed to do so. If a health problem occurs that cannot be treated locally, the Peace Corps will send the Volunteer to an appropriate facility in a nearby country or back to the United States.

The poor sanitation found in many countries often results in contaminated food and water. These in turn cause the leading Volunteer health complaint: gastrointestinal ailments and parasites. Such afflictions are a nuisance, but they aren't a serious health risk. In most cases they either go away of their own accord or require a brief course of medication, which is provided by the Peace Corps Medical Officer.

Prevention is an important part of each Volunteer's health care system. All requisite vaccinations or medications are given before and during a Volunteer's service. Other preventive measures include up to 25 hours of health education as part of pre-service training; mid-service and close-of-service physical and dental exams; medical newsletters and training during service; and visits by the Peace Corps Medical Officer to the Volunteer's site.

Peace Corps assumes the costs of medical expenses during an individual's service as a Volunteer.