Health and Safety

The Peace Corps has developed first-class programs staffed by global experts. These programs offer Volunteers the best training, guidance, and support available to help them remain healthy, safe, and productive throughout service. Still, the Peace Corps cannot eliminate every risk that Volunteers face.

Health

Volunteer assignments are physically and mentally demanding. Volunteers typically experience increased physical activity, less-developed transportation systems, different diets, and new challenges to personal resilience. Other challenges can include different housing and sanitation norms and less health care infrastructure than what is available in the U.S.

Because of these circumstances, some health conditions that are easily managed in the U.S. present serious health risks in the countries where Peace Corps Volunteers serve. The Peace Corps is responsible for providing necessary or appropriate health care to Volunteers during service. Volunteers can only serve in programs and countries that can support their medical needs, as determined by the Peace Corps’ Office of Health Services.

Once a Volunteer arrives in their country of service, Peace Corps medical officers are available to provide healthcare services to Volunteers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The Peace Corps provides health care, immunizations, medical supplies, and medications while in service, including, if necessary, air ambulance to a regional medical hub or to the U.S. for treatment.

For detailed information about the kinds of medical conditions Volunteers experience while in service, see the Peace Corps’ annual Health of the Volunteer report.

• Medical information for applicants
• Medical care during service

Safety

Volunteers serve worldwide, sometimes in very remote areas, so some risk is an inherent part of Volunteer service. Volunteers are provided with extensive training to reduce health and safety risks as much as possible. They are supported with language and cultural integration training to help them become a part of their host community, which has invited them to live, work, and serve, and is deeply invested in helping keep them safe. The Peace Corps has a rigorous site selection process to ensure all possible measures available are in place to protect each Volunteer’s safety.

Many Volunteers experience varying degrees of unwanted attention and harassment. Petty thefts and burglaries are not uncommon, and incidents of physical and sexual assault do occur. Precise information about reported incident rates by country and crime type is available in the Peace Corps' annual Statistical Report of Crimes Against Volunteers. This information is also included in each Peace Corps country's “About” section.

Volunteers can contact Peace Corps 24 hours a day, seven days a week for emergencies. Each Peace Corps country has a specific emergency action plan, and Volunteers are thoroughly trained in their roles and responsibilities in case of a natural disaster, political conflict, or other disruption to normal life in their host country.

Read more about Peace Corps' safety and security program.