Emergency air rescue facilities are excellent. Check your insurance covers pre-hospital evacuation.

SAFETY
Zimbabwe is safe for visitors.  Believe it!  We live here, and have been visiting the remote wild areas of the Zambezi Valley and Kariba regularly for the past ten years!   Now that the country has put itself onto a firmer political and economic footing, your tourism dollars are needed more than ever, and will be properly accounted for!

Normal precautions about visitor safety are advised, as in any other country in Africa, or indeed the World. 
- Be careful of your valuables.  Use a money belt or pouch rather than a sling bag.  Do not leave valuables in a car, even if it is locked.
- Avoid walking alone at night or in remote areas.
- Be wary if strangers approach you, however friendly they are. 
- Seek advice from reputable (or known) sources of information only.  
- Be polite and remain calm if stopped by police or at a road-block. If you have reason to believe that you are being unfairly treated, you can get help by using the following numbers (please do not abuse these): Inspector Chigome of the Traffic Police Press and Public Relations Office. 
Tel:  +263 (0)4 799269  Ext 124 
Mobile:  +263 (0)912 965 030
- Avoid taking photos of "strategic" facilities (airports, bridges etc) or "sensitive" places (presidential or diplomatic residences).

HEALTH
There are surprisingly good medical facilities, doctors and emergency evactuation services in Zimbabwe, as long as you have proper medical insurance which covers private facilities and services. 

Medical insurance
Travellers to the Kariba/Zambezi area are advised to take out an insurance policy that will cover medical emergencies and evacuation to a hospital in South Africa should critical care be required.  However, it is also important to have a pre-hospital emergency policy to cover evacuation to the nearest hospital from remote areas (like the Zambezi valley) by road or air ambulance. Zimbabwe has an efficient private Medical Air Rescue Service, which will assist with ambulance or air rescue even in remote areas of the country, and can sell short term policies to cover your stay.

A recent letter of advice from a doctor based in Mana Pools urges:  "It is not sufficient to be "covered for evacuation" by an insurance carrier, i.e. BUPA, Global Health - even MARS International.  You must have the insurance carrier write a letter of guarantee to MARS  (evacuation), and then you must register and have the guarantee pre-cleared by MARS before travelling to areas like the Zambezi Valley.  MARS will not send an aircraft until they have payment guarantee from the insurance carrier - and this can take several hours to get if the phones are not working!
MARS registration numbers, together with ID numbers and/or passport numbers should accompany each person at all times, and especially when on game drives, walks, or on the River.  Valuable time is lost trying to find information to give to MARS so that they can confirm eligibility, to fly in and collect a patient."

Visitors should check that their tour operator has MARS coverage and can organise the correct paperwork for you, or contact MARS direct.  Details on this link: Medical Air Rescue Service (MARS)
EMERGENCY MARS NUMBERS: KARIBA
Landline: +263 (0)61 3006
+263 (0)61 3007
+263 (0)61 3110
Mobiles: +263 (0)912 560 445
+263 (0)912 412 763 (Mars Doctor)
(Via Zambian network) +260 (0)977 685 397

Water and food
It is always advisable to drink only bottled or boiled water when travelling, and to wash all fruits and vegetables in clean water.  This will avoid any potential for stomach bugs.  Much has been made of the prevalence of cholera in Zimbabwe during the rainy season months of November to March.  Please note that cholera is NOT a threat for visitors.  While not denying the impact of this serious disease on poor communities which lack infrastructure, hygiene, and clean water, visitors are very far removed from these threats.  All hotels, restaurants, camps and lodges maintain the strictest hygiene codes.  Ice and salads are perfectly safe and visitors have no reason to be worried.  Self-caterers are simply advised to take sensible precautions about hygiene.

Malaria
Kariba and the Zambezi valley, being low-lying areas, do harbour malaria-carrying Anopheles mosquitoes.  However the threat of contracting malaria is only really bad between November and May during and just after the rainy season.  Most people visit the Zambezi area during the dry winter months when there are fewer mosquitoes, and the threat is considerably reduced.  But it is sensible to take precautions.

There is controversy over whether or not you should take anti-malarial prophylactic pills, and medical advice on the subject can be confusing.  Our recommendation is:
a)  Make sure that mosquitoes cannot bite you.  Cover up with long-sleeves, trousers or skirts at sundown; use insect repellant spray or cream; burn mosquito coils at night and sleep under a net.
b)  Take a course of whatever prophylactic is recommended by a doctor you trust.  Note that some anti-malarials should be avoided by people who are allergic to sulphur, and others can have psychotic side-effects.  But taking precautions with a minor risk is generally better than contracting malaria.  It is important to complete the course fully, even if this means you are taking pills long after you have returned home after your holiday (malaria can take from one to several weeks to incubate).
b)  Consider carrying a course of one of the newer malaria treatment drugs which includes Artemether.  You will only need to use this if you develop symptoms of malaria.  But it will give you peace of mind, and ensure quick treatment, should you be unfortunate enough to develop the symptoms which are:  waves of fever, shivering, headaches, diarrhoea and aching joints - a bit like bad flu but more severe.   Always seek the nearest medical advice before taking treatment.

SWIMMING
It is risky to swim in Lake Kariba or the Zambezi River.  Stick to swimming pools, swimming cages on houseboats, or the humble, but effective bush shower (a bucket of water hoisted in a tree!).  The water-borne parasite bilharzia  prevelant in water sources in Africa can cause a debilitating illness (which is treatable).  However it does not breed easily in the fast-flowing waters of the Zambezi.  Crocodiles, however, are a serious threat.  They are everywhere in Lake Kariba and the Zambezi River (even if you can't see them).  

BEASTIES
Snakes, bugs, spiders, scorpions, crickets, bees, flies and ants
Don't be paranoid about these.  It is very unlikely that you will encounter a snake, let alone be bitten by one.  If you come across one, simply freeze and then retreat slowly backwards to a safe distance. Insects and other beasties are a feature of the African bush.  None will kill you.  Some can bite.  Give them a wide berth and carry antihistamine and antiseptic cream.  A simple precaution is to check your bedding before you go to sleep and shake out your shoes and clothes in the morning before you dress!