The Tanzanian Association of Tour Operators have received notification from the Ministry of Health and Social welfare Head quarters, Dar es Salaam informing that "HEALTH SURVEILLANCE DESKS" which were removed in 2001, have been reinstalled in all BORDERS, PORTS AND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTS.As Tanzania is among countries which are at risk of being infected by yellow fever, Health Officials have been instructed to deal with the control and prevention of YELLOW FEVER for international travellers coming from infected countries.The Yellow Fever Endemic Zone in Africa includes Senegal, Gambia, and Guinea Bissau, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Cote D'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Nigeria, Mali, Niger, Chad, Central African Republic, Togo, Benin, Sao Tome, and Principe, Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, United Republic of Tanzania, Angola, Zambia, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Somali, Sudan and Equatorial Guinea. The Yellow Fever Endemic Zone in South America includes Panama, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana and Bolivia.The Senior Health Officer in charge at Kilimanjaro Airport said that this Health Desk was put in place on MONDAY 14th Jan 2008. They are allowing one week grace for all arriving passengers to get the information and will enforce it strictly from MONDAY 21st Jan 2008.For the moment passengers arriving directly from UK having not passed any of the below mentioned areas are "technically" not required by this regulation to have the Yellow Fever, however because Tanzania itself is considered an endemic area for their own safety they are strongly "advised" to get it and he says that eventually ALL passengers entering Tanzania will be required to have the vaccination regardless of their routing since Tanzania itself is one of the listed countries.All passengers who have passed through any of the mentioned areas are required to produce a valid certificate. This includes passengers transiting through Kenya even if they do not leave Jomo Kenyatta Airport, but not clients flying in direct from Amsterdam or London. This will also apply to clients entering by road at Namanga border - there is now a Health Desk in place at Namanga.It requires 10 days between vaccination and arrival into Tanzania so if you are travelling from - or via - any of the affected areas within the next 10 days and were unable to get your shots in time please contact your local tour operator who can inform the authorities and they may be able to assist in ensuring passengers do not have a problem upon arrival.
