Zambia

The Need

Formerly a part of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, Zambia is now a democratic republic located in the heart of Arica. While the tourism economy in Zambia is thriving, the quality of living for the country’s native ethnic groups is suffering. Life expectancy at birth is >50 years and 1.2 million children are orphans, primarily due to parental death from AIDS. Zambia has the nineteenth highest death rate in the world, due as much to dismal sanitation as infectious disease and autoimmune disorders. In the rural areas, less than 50% of the population has access to safe drinking water, and only 3.2% of rural families have electricity. Children average seven years of school, much of it missed due to diarrhea and other common illnesses.

In our experience, clinic in Zambia is one of the busiest trips that our volunteers work. At clinic, you will treat entire family units, elderly patients, expectant mothers, and orphans. Because Zambia has the nineteenth highest death rate in the world, you can expect to care for many ailing patients. Common diseases that you will treat include conditions related to AIDS, infectious diseases, autoimmune disorders, and diarrhea. 

You and the rest of the volunteer team will also educate locals on how to stay healthy and how to care for their loved ones. One of the main focuses of this mission is dentistry. Because dental pain is common here and because all community members are encouraged to attend, the demand for dental care will be high. We will have many local dental students and a professor at the dental school available to help translate and provide oral care.

Our Work

International Medical Relief first served Zambia in 2016. From 2016 to 2019, IMR has conducted six clinics, that consisted of 184 volunteers and staff who served around 6,000 patients. IMR plans to continue to provide community health training, medical treatments, medical supplies and equipment, and clinic operations in order to provide sustainable health care to Zambia. 

With diligent planning and preparation, IMR is dedicated to ensuring that specific goals are met on our missions, each in correlation to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 3 and 17.

IMR works to elevate vulnerable populations through shoulder-to-shoulder care with our local partners, creating workforce density, and a cadre of future healthcare and public health leaders in association to UNSDG 3: Good Health & Wellbeing. 

In correlation with UNSDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals, our organization works in collaboration and at the request of local hosts where we are under their direct influence and affluence. IMR never goes into a country without a formal invitation where there is a great community need for medical or dental care, and health education.

This Mission

Zambia is the only country in the world to have entered the Olympic Games as one country and left as another, after declaring independence from the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland on the last day of the Summer Olympics in 1964. Formerly Northern Rhodesia until its declaration of independence, Zambia is now a democratic republic, an English-speaking country in the heart of Africa, with more than seventy diverse tribes. Its culture manages to blend many disparate values and spiritual beliefs into a single country.

Poverty, however, is rampant in Zambia, healthcare almost non-existent, and education ends at the primary level for almost 75% of children in the country. Zambia is unlike any of the African countries you may have visited. With a strong Asian influence and a diverse population of young people, Zambia is one of the most vibrant cultures on the continent. People are amicable, warm, and present themselves as you see them. This simplicity of life is unforgettable.

Lodging/Transportation

You will stay in a modern, comfortable hotel in Livingstone for the entire trip.  In the evenings you and the team will be able to explore the city and take part in many cultural events. All transportation to and from clinic sites will be included and provided by safe, trustworthy drivers. Travel times to clinics are very reasonable and you will see much of how the people of Zambia live in the rural areas during your drives.

Highlights

In one word, the highlight of this trip is “sustainability.” Training local health educators, health center nurses, and young dental students – and seeing the immediate results of your efforts – is a true and meaningful joy. Working with people left out of the health care system in some of the most impoverished places on earth and making a huge impact on the lives of many will sustain you as much as it does them. You will have the chance to care for the most under-served of all populations; this day may well be one of the most thought-provoking days of your life, challenging your assumptions and your skills while meaning more to your patients than you will ever be able to imagine.

Does all this sound like a tall order? It gets bigger as you embark on a safari to seek out some of the most majestic animals in the world at a beautiful national park right outside of Livingstone.  Don’t forget to watch out for crocodiles! They are fast! Are you faster? Don’t miss this trip!

Extend Your Stay

You’re venturing halfway across the globe. Have you considered extending your stay a few days to visit some of Zambia’s top spots?

Join IMR on an exclusive extension Chobe National Park and have the opportunity to spend additional time “where the smoke thunders” – Victoria Falls! . Stand in awe of your surroundings while you experience the wonderland sculpted by Earth’s natural elements. Victoria Falls is classified as the largest sheet of falling water in the world and is roughly twice the height and width of Niagara Falls. Livingstone also cites the older name of Seongo, which translates to “the place of the rainbow” as a result of the immense and constant spray. If you’re lucky you may spot one of the many hippopotamus or crocodile that call the river home.

Since you’re already halfway around the world it would be a shame to miss on neighboring Botswana’s first and most biologically diverse national park. Chobe National Park has one the the greatest concentrations of game in all of Africa. Keep your eyes peeled on your private safari in search for the park’s noted population of lions and African elephants!

For more information on extending your trip, please contact our preferred travel agency, Worldwide Navigators. Their team of experienced agents and travelers is available via email at travel@worldwidenavigators.com.