Peru
Peppered with the remains of the famous ancient Inca civilisation, Peru continues into the Twenty First Century with a relatively stable democratic government and a population mostly descended from Amerindian stock. Its dynamic landscape ranges from the low lying coastal plains of the west where the capital city Lima sits, to the high Andes of the interior (up to 6,768 metres), plunging again into the jungles of the Amazon basin and spawning two of the Amazon’s main tributaries. Peru is the adventurer’s gateway to the upper reaches of the Amazon, and a fascinating draw to seekers of lost cities.
After decades of upheaval, guerrilla activity, and a growingly autocratic government, elections in 2001 brought hope of a new era, placing Alejandro Toledo in the presidential seat as Peru’s first Amerindian head of state. Toledo’s drive towards economic reform and tackling unemployment has met with limited success.
Many other challenges are faced by the government including following up on corruption charges against the previous government, the need to reform the military and police force, and incursions on the North Eastern border from Columbian drug cartels. However, Peru is currently seeing a notable resurgence in tourism and some foreign investment.
The majority of the population of Peru is concentrated in the highlands which are also the most economically and socially deprived areas. The difficulty of the landscape accounts for some of the chasm between the prosperous and modern Costa and the impoverished Sierra regions. Medics Away students will have the opportunity to work in the highland hospitals of Cusco, Quillabamba or Lares. They will work almost exclusively with the Amerindian people who live in these regions.
The highland Amerindians continue a traditional way of life, still sporting the colourful costumes of their forebears and living with a strong culture of extended family life and agricultural productivity. However, in the face of economic marginalisation there is a big problem with migration to the western cities, leaving the mountain communities in a state of decline.
Peru ranks 129th out of 190 countries listed in the WHO’s ranking of world health systems – notably better than Russia (130), China (144) and South Africa (175) . However, a glance at standard health indicators leads to bleak conclusions.
Death rates from infectious diseases are high and extreme poverty results in fatal and chronic malnutrition in deprived regions. In 1991 it is estimated that 1,200 deaths per week were caused by malnutrition. Abortion is illegal in Peru and D.I.Y. abortions are considered to be one of the primary health threats for women . Many women were forcibly sterilised in the late 1990s in a government initiative to stem population growth. In high areas where there is a lack of iodine in the soil, through high rainfall, there is a noticeable prevalence of goitre. Travelers need to take precautions against E. coli, Salmonella, cholera, and parasites, typhoid fever, toxoplasmosis and hepatitis as well as malaria in some areas. Infectious disease is the biggest killer among the Peruvian people.
Medics Away elective students will experience two of the three distinctive geographical regions within Peru: the upper reaches of the Amazon Basin and the rainforest clad Tropical Andes. The Tropical Andes take up half the country and are classified as a biodiversity “hotspot” – having an exceptional number of endemic species including 15-17% of the world’s plant life . The isolation of deep gorges between high peaks has led to the formation of thousands of microhabitats and diverse species.
The deepest gorge in the world is found near Cabaconde in the South. The rainforest crawls up the side of the Andean Sierra, clearing to reveal some of the most magnificent mountain scenery in the world.
Running Northwest of Cusco, The Sacred Valley was the cradle of Inca civilisation and still holds a high density of fascinating ruins in its tranquil folds. Most famous among these ruins is the sacred city of Machu Picchu, although there are several others as spectacular. The region is still farmed on the terraces built by Inca engineers and life continues virtually untouched since centuries ago.
There are two main seasons, wet and dry. The dry season in the highlands runs from June to August while the wettest times are from December to April when there can be heavy rains and the accompanying mud sometimes makes travelling difficult.
Peruvian currency is the Sol – exchanging at about 5.5 to the UK pound. Spanish is spoken throughout the country and practically all the Quechua speaking Indians also speak Spanish so some grasp of this language is helpful. English is generally understood in major hotels and airline offices.
Travellers can expect to enjoy a range of delicious local foods and even dare to try the Andean delicacy of roast guinea pig, but special care must be taken over hygiene. Altitude sickness is an inevitable part of the initial experience to newcomers to Cusco. Lots of rest and plenty of good food for the first few days at least, allows most students to quickly overcome the effects.
Medics Away electives can be arranged for any duration. Students need to tell us how long they want to go to Peru for and how much of that time they wish to spend in the hospital, or on independent travel. All students should have travel insurance and for British students we only recommend the BMA Elective travel insurance which covers students for needle-stick injuries, HIV and in cases where a student fails their exams and can’t go on their elective (the equivalent cover is provided by alternative companies for other foriegn nationals). British, U.S., Canadian , Australian and New Zealand students will not require a visa prior to travelling to Peru, and will be issued a 90 day travel visa on entrance into the country. Students should always carry an extra $50 USD with them when they depart from Peru to pay for any taxes the airport will charge you. All students should have the relevant vaccines such as Hep B, Hep A, yellow fever, typhoid, tetanus and polio; more information can be found on http://www.traveldoctor.co.uk. Anti malarial prohylaxis will also need to be taken if you wish to travel to the jungle, Chiclayo or anywhere else low lying. Further details of all prophylaxis is provided upon reservation. For more information about Peru, our Peruvian elective or anything elective related then please go to our website http://www.medicsaway.com, email us at or phone. We are sure that you’re going to have a great elective and an amazing experience.