North America

Mexico

Location

Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, between Belize and the United States and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and the US.

Street crime is on the increase. Reports of bus hijacks and robberies are common. Women travelling alone should be particularly alert. Incidents of rape and a number of other sexual offences have occured in tourist areas. Exercise caution when withdrawing money. Opportunistic express kidnapping is frequent as is long term kidnap for financial gain. Local militia groups, weapons (various), vehicle security, personal security, drugs, 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, cultures/customs, communications, emergency shelters.

Use bottled water.

High, rugged mountains; low coastal plains; high plateaus; desert.

Varies from tropical to desert.

Tsunamis along the Pacific coast, volcanoes and destructive earthquakes in the centre and south, and hurricanes on the Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean coasts. Flash floods and mudslides.

Cholera, dengue fever, hepatitis A, malaria, polio, rabies, typhoid, yellow fever. Be aware of high altitude.
Hospital: hospital General, Andador 5, entre Calle 12 y Calle 13, Cancun, QR. Tel: 98-842666

Scarcity of hazardous waste disposal facilities; rural to urban migration; natural fresh water resources scarce and polluted in north, inaccessible and poor quality in centre and extreme south-east; raw sewage and industrial effluents polluting rivers in urban areas; deforestation; widespread erosion; desertification; deteriorating agricultural lands; serious air and water pollution in the national capital and urban centres along US-Mexico border; land subsidence in Valley of Mexico caused by groundwater depletion. The government considers the lack of clean water and deforestation national security issues.

Be prepared to stop unexpectedly, and beware potholes, slow moving traffic, vehicles going through red lights and changing lane without warning. Many local drivers do not have insurance. Keep your car doors and windows locked at all times, especially at traffic lights.

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.