Volunteer providing a health check in Peru

Public Health Spring Break in Peru

Get hands-on medical experience while helping to provide basic healthcare to remote communities

At a glance

  • Learn directly from healthcare professionals, who’ll teach you basic medical skills and first aid.
  • Help run awareness campaigns in remote communities, and share knowledge about preventing disease.
  • Learn about Peruvian culture and visit Machu Picchu

Start Dates: 

Over Spring Break

See Dates

Minimum Duration: 

One Week

Ages: 

18 or over


Is this project right for me?

Want to make the most of your Spring Break? Interested in adding practical healthcare experience to your CV? Do you want to support communities in need? If you answered yes to any of these questions, our Public Health Spring Break Trip in Peru is for you.

In Peru, you’ll travel around Cusco, and work at medical outreaches in disadvantaged communities. You don’t need previous experience to join, as we’ll teach you everything you need to know. All of your work is supervised, and our staff are there to support you constantly. 

You’ll learn how to measure blood pressure and temperatures. These skills will add a lot of value to your CV, and give you interesting points to talk about in applications and interviews. You’ll also be demonstrating your commitment to helping others.

This project runs for a week over fixed dates in March. The dates we’ve set coincide with most major North American universities’ spring breaks. Throughout it all, our staff will be with you. 


Where will I work in Peru?

Cusco

You'll be based in the city of Cusco. This was once the capital of the ancient Incan Empire, and you'll see countless reminders of this as you walk through the city.

In and around Cusco, there are many rural communities that lack access to basic medical services. It’s in these communities where you will do the majority of your outreach work.

Airport pickup, flights and visas

When you arrive at your respective airport, a member of Projects Abroad staff will be there to meet you. You can find more detailed information on arrival airports, orientation, and visas on our Peru Arrival Procedures page.


What is the goal of Public Health work in Peru

One week may not seem like much time, but our staff have put together a busy schedule for you so you’ll always be learning or working on an important project.

The main aim of this project is to give you the opportunity to expand your medical knowledge, and help provide basic medical care in disadvantaged communities. 

Peru currently suffers from a double burden of disease. Infectious disease remains rife in disadvantaged communities, with respiratory diseases still being one of the leading causes of death in Peru. Non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and heart diseases are also on the rise, and malnutrition amongst babies and children remains a serious issue.

Through our Public Health programme, we aim to provide basic healthcare in these communities. You’ll become part of these efforts by doing health checks and raising awareness about disease. 

We have set specific goals we want to achieve through our Public Health work in Peru. We want to establish a greater understanding of medical and healthcare knowledge among local communities. We also want to improve the quality of healthcare provided to disadvantaged people, and improve the level of hygiene in the communities our volunteers work in.

Join us as we strive to achieve these goals, and gain valuable Public Health work experience in Peru during your spring break.


Management plans

We set out the aims and objectives of our projects in documents called Management Plans. We use them to properly plan the work you’ll do. They also help us measure and evaluate our achievements and impact each year.


Ultimately, our Management Plans help us make our projects better. This in turn means you get to be part of something that makes a real impact where it’s needed. Read more about our Management Plans.


Measuring our impact

Our projects work towards clear long-term goals, with specific annual objectives. Every volunteer and intern we send to these projects helps us work towards these goals, no matter how long they spend on our projects.


Every year we take a step back and look at how much progress we've made towards these goals. We put together a Global Impact Report, which documents our achievements. Find out more about the impact our global community of volunteers, interns and staff make, and read the latest report.


Food and accommodation

You'll stay with a host family in Cusco. They will welcome you into their home, eager to share their customs and have you teach them about your own culture. We believe that this is the best way to immerse yourself in the culture of Peru and have a truly unique experience.


We will always try to let you live alongside at least one other Projects Abroad volunteer or intern at the same host family. Your room will be modest, but comfortable, clean, and safe.


Your programme fee includes three meals a day.


Find out more about our accommodation.


Safety and staff support

Your safety and security is our prime concern. We have many procedures and systems to ensure you have the support you need to enjoy your trip with peace of mind. Our Projects Abroad staff are available 24 hours a day to help, and will be on-hand to make sure you settle in well at your accommodation and placement. If you encounter any problems, they will be available to help at any time.


Find out more about safety and backup.

We currently don’t have any available dates for this project. Contact us on (+1) 619 320 2424 to discuss future dates or alternative projects.

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