Are headlines in the news giving you cold feet about
the big trip you've been planning for months? The invasion
of Iraq, SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), conflict
in many countries - you could always travel by remote-control
from the comfort of your big-screen TV.
Clearly, it would be unwise to venture
into the Persian Gulf at the moment, or to some parts of Asia
if you are concerned about contracting SARS (you may want
to consider staying out of certain Toronto hospitals too if
that is a worry). But there are still relatively safe places
to travel, work or volunteer abroad. Don't pull the plug on
your plans just yet, but make sure you do a little looking
into what's happening where.
Here's a short list of resources that
can help you to make your travel decisions:
Department of Foreign Affairs Travel Information and Advisory
Reports www.voyage.gc.ca/dest/
Travel reports, updates, heads-ups.
International Association for Medical
Assistance to Travelers (IAMAT) www.iamat.org
Advises travellers of health risks, geographical distribution
of diseases, immunization requirements for all countries,
and makes competent medical care available to travellers around
the world.
World Health Organization www.who.int/en
Tons of up-to-date information, including health conditions,
crime rates and the availability of medical services.
