Facilities and Health Information
Health care throughout Kiribati, including Tarawa, is substandard. Medication and supplies are limited and hospital accommodations are inadequate throughout the country. Serious medical conditions requiring hospitalization or evacuation to the United States or elsewhere may cost thousands of dollars. If a person dies in Kiribati, there are no funeral homes with embalming or cremation services. If a relative wishes to return their deceased family member to the United States, there will be additional requirements needed to prepare the deceased member for travel. These requirements depend on the cause of death. The only international air connections in Kiribati are a weekly flight connecting Kiritimati (Christmas) Island to Honolulu and two weekly connections between Tarawa and Fiji. Air Kiribati provides rare flights between the islands of Kiribati. A serious medical condition could require an expensive medical evacuation. All water should be regarded as a potential health risk. Visitors should refrain from drinking any water that is not bottled, boiled, or otherwise sterilized. Vegetables should be cooked and fruit should be peeled before being eaten.
Drinking Water Source - % of rural population improved
50.6%
Drinking Water Source - % of total population unimproved
33.2%
Drinking Water Source - % of urban population improved
87.400000
Hospital Bed Density - beds/1,000 population
1.3
Physicians Density - physicians/1,000 population
.38
Sanitation Facility Access - % of total population unimproved
60.3%
Sanitation Facility Access - % of urban population improved
51.200000
Sanitation Facility Access - % of rural population improved
30.6%