Archive for the ‘Country’ Category

Prepared by Dr Deb Mills – TMA member Brisbane

Volubilis is a partly excavated Roman ruin in northern Morocco. Built in a fertile agricultural area, it was developed from the 3rd century BC onwards as a Phoenician/Carthaginian settlement. It grew rapidly under Roman rule from the 1st century AD onwards and expanded to cover an area of about 40 hectares (100 acres) with a 2.6 km (1.6 mi) circuit of walls. The city gained a number of major public buildings in the 2nd century, including a basilica, temple and triumphal arch. Its prosperity, which was derived principally from olive growing, prompted the construction of many fine town-houses with large mosaic floors. More info.
I am a fan of ancient ruins, and this site was one of the highlight of my trip to Morocco. It is a short trip from Fez or Meknes, either by private car or bus. Morocco is a country for mosaics but this site has some rather well preserved mosaics from roman times. The ruins are substantial enough to give a very vivid picture of the locals who lived in the city at that time. The rich Romans seemed to have built a very comfortable life for themselves. The ruins are still surrounded by farmlands which makes a most picturesque setting. There are no signs or maps on any of the structures when I was there, so it helps to have a guide to get the best stories and make the most of your visit.

TIP: Arrive as early in the morning as you can (7am) before the bulk of tourists … as we were leaving … 5 large tourist buses arrived!

You may be interested in Dr Deb’s one minute video: Why travellers seem to be complacent about their health. It was filmed in Volubilis. Watch it here.

… Prepared by Travel Medicine Alliance Member, St Kilda Road, Melbourne

Jacinta Bongiorno has worked as a practice nurse at St Kilda Rd Travel Medicine for 18 months. Prior to commencing her position at St Kilda Rd, Jacinta worked as an educator in Tanzania, which she found extremely rewarding. Although she enjoyed her time working for the practice, she was extremely passionate about assisting disadvantaged communities. Thus, in early 2012, she decided to again leave Melbourne to work for a non-profit aid organisation, foodwatershelter, in Tanzania.

Tanzania is a major tourist destination, with approximately 1 million visitors entering the country per year. There are a range of incredible attractions, including Mount Kiliminjaro, the Serengeti National Park and the Norrongo Conservation Area.

Jacinta undertook the role of Health Manager at Kesho Leo, where she was able to develop and coordinate a range of health services and strategies, and provide invaluable health education to the local women. Her role proved to be very challenging, and on numerous occasions, she was involved in the care of life threatening conditions, such as HIV, Malaria and TB. Whilst caring for sick patients, she was forced to battle with the poor health care available in the country; many hospitals had 2 patients in one bed. Additionally, there was limited access to a range of services we take for granted in Australia, such as a simple plain x-ray machine, which would frequently break down. Jacinta also questioned the accuracy of the pathology tests – many patients with extremely different symptoms would somehow end up with the same diagnosis and treatment, which concerned her immensely. Due to the lack of education and literacy within the country, it was a constant struggle to deal with the many dangerous myths circulating about health. For instance, many men believed the myth that HIV could be cured by sleeping with a virgin or an albino.

In some instances, the important health aids that were handed out were instead used for other purposes. Mosquito nets designed to reduce the risk of malaria were instead used for food storage.

Whilst these issues created a hurdle, Jacinta still loved the work, and felt privileged to be involved, “the most rewarding part of this sort of work is seeing people get health information and advice that they otherwise wouldn’t have got. Like on community health day, where we saw 170 people in 4 hours. They all had HIV testing and then … we checked their blood pressure and discussed any health concerns they had“, Jacinta remarked of her experience.

Jacinta and her partner, Josh, also developed very close relationships with many of the families. One of the mothers named one of her children Jacinta, and another mother named her son Josh. Overall, she found the locals to be very friendly and welcoming, and responded to the work very openly. They were keen to listen to any advice and treatment that could be provided. This made the experience all the more rewarding.

Jacinta and Josh have returned to Australia, but they plan to continue to work with disadvantaged communities. Jacinta is studying for her Master of Public Health, a qualification which will enhance her skills in working within disadvantaged communities.

And incidentally, they did also get to manage to visit some of the spectacular tourist attractions in Tanzania. Most importantly, Jacinta ensured she had all of the recommended travel vaccinations, and used her knowledge of travel medicine to ensure they both stayed healthy.