We have  a lot to be thankful for. We wanted to reach out and say 'thanks' to you for believing in us even as we continue to provide you with a great hospital work experience abroad  this year.

Here's the Deal......

Like yourself, we’re always excited by great experience abroad.

But often a times things don’t go the way we planned. From flight delays, missing luggage and many other things that makes us wanna hit the person responsible. But sadly, we don’t!

On the other hand there is always this one thing that stands out and make us remember the reason why we even travelled abroad in the first place. It makes us forget the bad experience and enjoy the moment.

Once you get a great experience, it’s all yours for keeps for the rest of your days.

And our programs are a blueprint for gaining a great hospital work experience while relaxing and having fun.

Are you looking to travel abroad for a great hospital work experience? We have a variety of healthcare placements abroad for you to choose from.

Is volunteering something that you would like to do off or in addition to your hospital rotation? The programs allow you to make a difference by volunteering your skills to the less fortunate in the society and appreciate other cultural determinants of health and wellbeing. 

Even if you need some time to enjoy the African landscape and wild, we have great safari destination and excursion sites that will blow your mind away and paint to you unforgettable memories. 

Find Your Program

World AIDs day as celebrated every 1^st of December is an opportunity not only to further the Agenda of reduction of HIV and related deaths but also an opportunity to examine the strides the world has made in fighting this Epidemic. The theme of this year’s campaign overstates the importance of each and every individual in the efforts to fight HIV but also the need to view all both infected and non-infected as target areas for interventions.

WHO HIV FACT SHEET

• HIV continues to be a major global public health issue, having claimed more than 35 million lives so far. In 2016, 1.0 million people died from HIV-related causes globally.
• There were approximately 36.7 million people living with HIV at the end of 2016 with 1.8 million people becoming newly infected in 2016 globally.
• The WHO African Region is the most affected region, with 25.6 million people living with HIV in 2016. The African region also accounts for almost two thirds of the global total of new HIV infections.
• Key populations are groups who are at increased risk of HIV irrespective of epidemic type or local context. They include: men who have sex with men, people who inject drugs, people in prisons and other closed settings, sex workers and their clients, and transgender people.
• Key populations often have legal and social issues related to their behaviours that increase vulnerability to HIV and reduce access to testing and treatment programs.
• In 2015, an estimated 44% of new infections occurred among key populations and their partners.
• It is estimated that currently only 70% of people with HIV know their status. To reach the target of 90%, an additional 7.5 million people need to access HIV testing services. In mid-2017, 20.9 million people living with HIV were receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) globally.
• Between 2000 and 2016, new HIV infections fell by 39%, and HIV-related deaths fell by one third with 13.1 million lives saved due to ART in the same period. This achievement was the result of great efforts by national HIV programs supported by civil society and a range of development partners.

HIV/AIDS remains a major contributor of mortality and morbidity in sub – Saharan Africa. In Kenya and Tanzania, it is still the leading cause of death. With Kenya having 15% of deaths related to HIV and Tanzania having 17%. The persistent presence of this disease in the disease burden charts means that the health systems have to continually reinvent and target their resources to delivering lasting solutions and consequently reduce the number of HIV/Cases.

Aspiring healthcare practitioners’ must therefore seek to understand and unravel the suitably best methods to deal with this health condition. Part of the measures to consider include:

• Sensitising the communities on the risk factors that predispose them to the HIV/AIDs. Increased awareness among the populations and the community members across regions have proven very key in curbing the incidences and the spread of HIV/AIDs. There is a large need to direct resources towards building the community capacity to ensure that the health education and promotions that may take place have more sustainability.
• The 30% of the population that does not know their HIV/AIDS status can be reached. Reaching out to them would mean everyone knows their status and thus reducing the risk of spreading the virus. The healthcare professionals across board involved in the delivery of this health services should ensure that the testing and counselling services are incorporated as part of the primary health services. The testing should be as friendly and should follow the WHO stipulated guidelines.
• The rise in antiretroviral therapy is actually one of the great progresses made in ensuring quality of life among the people living with HIV/Aids as well as reduce the risk of the transmission of the virus to uninfected persons. Of great note is the pre-exposure prophylaxis which allows the individuals to prevent themselves from infection and especially when exposed to the risk. The effective use of Pre and post exposure prophylaxis is a good way to control the spread of the infection.

Opportunity for Healthcare Placement to Learn more on HIV/Aids in Africa

There is vast opportunity to learn on the epidemic from Africa and to further understand the causes and management of HIV/Aids. For those interested in learning on HIV aids in their medical volunteer or elective abroad, the placement will take place in the comprehensive care clinic(CCC). In this hospital unit one will learn on the preventive measures employed and participate in advocacy campaigns, the distribution of ARVs and ARTs to those infected among other measures put forward to further fight and reduce the global burden of this disease.

As we celebrate this world aids day then it is important to remember and work to ensure that indeed Every life counts.

Apply for Healthcare Placement to Learn more on HIV/Aids and other diseases prevalent in Africa

A placement abroad is a very exciting opportunity not only to connect with healthcare professionals and fellow students from all over the world but also to learn from a unique hospital setting. It will only be fair if you can get the best out of the trip after parting with your money to organize for the trip. Before anything else preparation is key for a successful placement abroad. Here is a sneak peak into what your first week will look like

Arrival Day:  When you arrive at Moi International Airport, Mombasa,(preferably on Sunday) you will be picked up by an E.A Representative. They will be holding an Elective Africa Page Board with your name on it. You will then proceed to our student house in Nyali, Mombasa.

Day 1: You will be accompanied by one of our operation coordinators for Hospital Registration. The hospital administration will then assign you one of their staff to take you through the hospital orientation and the departments you will be rotating in. In the afternoon you will be given an orientation of the residence and local surroundings e.g. shopping area, beach etc. You will be provided with a phone and a local SIM card i.e. in case you would like to have a local phone; you will be responsible for loading minutes to make calls. At the residence you will have access to free Internet; you just need to bring your own gadget like a laptop, phone or tablet for connectivity. 


Day 2 Onwards (Daily Routine): Routine hospital program. Kindly note in this institution facilities are stretched with limited resources and you may find yourself working in conditions that really test your skills, abilities & emotions. You are also likely to find conditions in advanced stages. You have free afternoons but if you would to extend your time in the hospital, we would be happy to organise this for you. You might want to go on a sightseeing adventure treks within Mombasa or visit an orphanage. This can be done during your free time and weekends. Our coordinator will give you the available options and accompany you to the place.

Internship days may vary slightly depending on which department you are placed. If it does, maximize on it and learn all you can.

After a long day at work our chef will not disappoint you with our nicely prepared food. The food is amazing and it’s also a great opportunity to try local cuisine. My top pick for you would be ‘Nyama Choma’ oooh it is mouth watering.

Travelling abroad to shadow as a pre health student is a once in lifetime opportunity and it’s benefits are never measurable.

Whether you are on track to become a medical doctor, a physician assistant, a nurse, a midwife or a dentist here are four benefits of a pre health shadowing internship abroad:

Benefit #1: Broaden your horizons by getting exposure to global Healthcare

Traveling abroad for a pre health shadowing internship broadens the horizons for any pre health student in the exposure to the medical field. It opens one to the idea that medicine is a global field and that differences and disparities exist when it come to the healthcare system. It is also an opportunity to get to interact with new and unique disease conditions which are alien to your home country.

Benefit # 2: Determine if medicine is the right career path for you

Undertaking a shadowing internship abroad is a good opportunity for you to focus on one area of medicine and be able to determine if the healthcare career is the right path for you, having gotten the opportunity to fully immerse yourself in a healthcare system. Through the shadowing experience abroad, you will gain a deeper understanding of your motivations and what kind of health profession you would like to pursue as well as enhance your confidence in a hospital setting. Through observing a healthcare professional day in day out, you will be able to enhance your understanding of the health system  and thus enable you to discover if a healthcare career is the right path for you.

Benefit # 3: Shared learning with students from all over the world

In a pre health shadowing abroad, you get to interact with other participants from different parts of the world. You have the opportunity to create a community with them and you can all share your different perspectives on healthcare as well as share on how different your health care systems are thus building a camaraderie with peers from around the world

Benefit # 4: Immersion in a new culture

Travelling abroad to undertake a pre health shadowing internship also gives you an opportunity to get immersed in a new culture which is quite different from the one at home. You will get to see how different cultures affect the delivery of healthcare in some parts e.g some communities in sub saharan Africa believe that cancer is caused as a result of witchcraft. You will also get to learn some aspects of a new culture e.g language, traditions and cuisines and taking the local cuisines just to mention a few. This way you will appreciate the diversity of culture across the world

How to solve the problem of a bad hospital placement experience abroad
After spending your money planning and organizing your placement abroad, its imperative that the core part of your placement; the hospital is well in check to avoid incidences of bad hospital experience. But how then do you ensure that is solved or in best how do you avoid it? 

You can now get the Recording Here 

If you have any questions about our Healthcare Placements / Pre-Health Shadowing Internships Abroad, please don’t hesitate to email us at info@electiveafrica.com or give us a call at +1 609 375 8912. We’d love to help.