Central America

El Salvador

Location

Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and Honduras.

There are very high levels of violent crime throughout the country. If attacked do not resist your attackers as they will probably be armed. Robberies, assaults and car-jackings are common. Local militia groups, weapons (various), ballistics danger areas, mines, booby traps, vehicle security, personal security, ambushes, kidnappings, bandits / corruption, gunfire, legal / illegal checkpoints, armed robberies, general travel, navigation, off road driving, building / office security, hot weather injuries, personal hygiene, sanitation / sterilisation, clothing & equipment, emergency first aid, helicopter safety, terrorism, cultures / customs, communications, emergency shelters. Extreme political unrest and crime rate. Do not use cameras around military installations.

Use bottled water only.

Mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau.

Tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to April); tropical on coast; temperate in uplands.

Known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes very destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity; extremely susceptible to hurricanes.

Dengue fever, hpatitis A, malaria, polio, rabies, typhoid, visceral leishmaniasis, yellow fever.
Hospital: Hospital de Ninos Benjamin Bloom, 25 Av Norte Final, San Salvador. Tel: 225 4692

De-forestation; soil erosion; water pollution; contamination of soils from disposal of toxic wastes.

The main highway through El Salvador is being brought up to international standard. Other main routes are in good condition. Some roads, however, are in poor condition and can be dangerous to drive on. Whatever road is used, care should be taken as local driving standards are low.

Hostile Environments and Emergency First Aid Training (HEFAT®) (5 days)
Centurion's flagship Hostile Environments and Emergency First Aid Training (HEFAT®) course is for people who operate world wide, particularly in areas where there may be personal health or safety concerns. It is extremely effective for "frontline" organisations.

For more in-depth general information please download our Preparation and Training document.