Tanzania

Malaria, dengue fever, and cholera are common in Tanzania.

Isolated outbreaks of Ebola virus disease have occurred occasionally in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, often in remote areas. On 8 May 2018, two cases of Ebola were confirmed in the DRC town of Bikoro, Western DRC. Passengers travelling from the DRC may be subject to health screening at ports of entry in Tanzania.

There have also been cases of sleeping sickness occurring after bites from tsetse flies in the north, including the Serengeti. Other diseases, such as rift valley fever, occur mostly in rural areas where access to sanitation is limited.

In the 2015 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic, the UNAIDS/WHO Working Group estimated that around 1,400,000 adults aged 15 or over in Tanzania were living with HIV; the prevalence percentage was estimated at around 4.7 of the adult population.

If you need emergency medical assistance during your stay in Tanzania, dial 112 and ask for an ambulance.

Point A: 11° 50.00′ N, 045° 00.00′ E.

Point B: 14° 28.00′ N, 053° 00.00′ E.

The corridor includes the creation of separate eastbound and westbound transit lanes. Each lane will be 5.0 n.m. wide and will be separated by a 2 n.m. buffer zone.

Timings for the group transits are as follows:

Masters using the IRTC and those following the group transits are not relieved of their obligation and should continue to maintain a strict 24-hour lookout using all available means to get early warnings of an approaching threat.

Masters are also reminded that all suspicious/attempted/actual attacks reported to coalition warship should also be reported to the 24-hour IMB piracy reporting centre.

Ships transiting the Gulf of Aden are advised to register with the EU. The EU webpage is www.mschoa.org/

Ships/owners are advised to register their details and obtain further information regarding the close support protection/transit corridor details for ships transiting the Gulf of Aden. Ships would be encouraged to conduct their passage through the IRTC in groups based on their transit speed (Gulf of Aden group transits). Military assets (naval and air) will be strategically deployed within the area to best provide protection and support to ships.

Masters are also advised to maintain a listening watch on VHF Channels 16, 8 and 72. Warships make advisory calls, ``Securite'' broadcasts, to announce their location and in turn will also listen for merchant ships calling them.

Vessels are advised to keep more than 600 n.m. from the coastline and when routeing north/south, keeping east of Long. 60° 00′ E until east of the Seychelles.

In view of the recent attacks, all vessels are advised when proceeding to/from South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya and Somalia to consider routeing south of Lat. 10° 00′ S and east of Long. 060° 00′ E, avoiding the area between the Somali coast and north and west of the Seychelles. Mariners are advised to report any suspicious boats to the European Union Maritime Security Centre. A 24-hour visual and radar watch must be maintained as early sightings/detection and accurate assessment will allow Masters to take evasive action and increase speed, and at the same time request assistance and escape.

Due to the unprecedented number of Somali pirate incidents, the IMB calls for all Masters transiting the Gulf of Aden, southern Red Sea, off Oman, east coast of Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Seychelles and Madagascar to report all sightings of suspected pirate mother ships to the PRC. This vital intelligence will then be used to identify and target the mother ships. This will enable appropriate actions to be taken in response.

Most banks in major cities have ATMs, but they are not always reliable and sometimes break down or run out of money. To minimise the risk of card cloning, only use ATMs located within the bank. Travellers cheques are not widely accepted.

Extremists linked to the Islamic terrorist group Al-Shabaab based in Somalia pose a threat across the east Africa region, and are thought to be active in Tanzania. There is also thought to be some support for Daesh (formerly referred to as ISIL); however, many incidents in Tanzania are of unclear origin and may be conducted by criminal gangs. Although there have been no significant terrorist attacks in Tanzania in recent years, the authorities in Tanzania successfully made a number of arrests in connection to terrorism throughout 2016.

There is a high proportion of Muslims in Tanzania, especially along the coast and on Zanzibar and Pemba. Respect local traditions, customs, laws and religions at all times and be aware of your actions to ensure that they don’t offend, especially during the holy month of Ramadan or if you intend to visit religious areas. You should dress modestly. In Zanzibar and Pemba, women should avoid wearing shorts and sleeveless tops away from tourist resorts, and particularly in Stone Town and other places where the local population may be offended. There have been cases where women travelling alone and in small groups have been verbally harassed.

Homosexuality is illegal in Tanzania (including Zanzibar) and is not tolerated in Tanzania’s conservative society. Public displays of homosexuality like holding hands or kissing in public places could lead to arrest and imprisonment.

Tanzania (including Zanzibar) has strict laws regarding drug use and those found in possession will be fined. There are severe penalties, including prison sentences, for drug trafficking.

There are criminal laws on the protection of wildlife and fauna in Tanzania. Avoid bringing wildlife products such as jewellery into Tanzania as you risk delay, questioning or detention when trying to leave the country. These products, whether bought or received as a gift in Tanzania, are illegal. Foreigners have been arrested recently for trying to take products, including horns and seashells, out of the country without a certified export permit issued by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism. If you’re caught you may be detained or fined.