Pemba Island - the
Green Island of Zanzibar
THE SETTING
Lush, hilly, and primarily agricultural, Pemba lies in the northern part of Zanzibar and has a distinctly local rhythm of life.
THE ISLAND
A working
agricultural island
Clove farming, coconut groves, small fishing villages, and close-knit communities shape Pemba. Its Arabic name, Al-Jazīra al-khaḍrā’, or “the Green Island”, reflects how fertile and cultivated it is compared with much of the surrounding region.
Because it receives fewer visitors than Unguja (the main island of Zanzibar), daily life on Pemba remains centred on local routines and livelihoods. For students, that means living and learning inside an ordinary working community, not alongside one.
01
Resource constraints in daily practice
With limited staffing, supplies, and diagnostics, clinicians manage a broad case mix using what is available. Students see first-hand how care is delivered when resources must be used thoughtfully and consistently.
HEALTHCARE CONTEXT
Where district hospitals carry
broad responsibility
Pemba’s health system works within real resource constraints, and district hospitals carry responsibility across a wide range of services. For students, this offers exposure to the practical realities of care delivery in a setting where staff, supplies, and diagnostics must often be used carefully.
02
A system investing in improvement
Health services on Pemba continue to evolve, with facility upgrades and service development shaping the years ahead. Students arrive in a setting that is active and changing, not static.
03
Broad services in one hospital setting
A district hospital may bring maternal, paediatric, emergency, and outpatient care together in one place, giving students a wider view of how services connect across the continuum of care.
Vitongoji District Hospital
THE HOSPITAL
Located in southern Pemba and operated by Saifee Hospital, Vitongoji District Hospital sees more than 400 patients a day across a broad range of services, including maternal care, paediatrics, emergency care, and outpatient work. It is a busy, active clinical setting and the centre of gravity for the ECHOES placement.
GETTING TO PEMBA
A short hop from Zanzibar airport
Pemba can be reached by a 30-minute domestic flight from Abeid Amani Karume International Airport, or by ferry from Stone Town. We help each student plan this final stage of the journey as part of their preparation.
Travel, visa, and arrival information is available on the Practical Information page.