Malaria

If you are travelling to a country where malaria is present:

• Check the malaria risk for your destination: NaTHNaC - Country List
• Seek pre-travel health advice ideally at least 4 to 6 weeks before you go 
• Get antimalarial medication from your GP, travel clinic or pharmacy (including on-line pharmacies).
• Take medication exactly as prescribed, before, during and after your trip
• Use insect repellent containing DEET
• Wear long-sleeved clothing and long trousers, especially in the evening and at night
• Sleep under insecticide-treated mosquito nets where appropriate

Even if you are travelling at short notice, it is still important to get advice and anti-malarial tablets if travelling to an area with malaria.

• Malaria is a serious and potentially fatal illness
• You can still become unwell from malaria, even if you have had it many times before
• Every trip to a malaria-risk area carries a risk
• Early diagnosis and treatment are essential

Find out more

Find country-specific malaria information and travel health advice from Travel Health Pro.

You can also learn more about malaria symptoms, treatment and prevention from NHS malaria information.

Malaria medication

• Myth: Antimalarial tablets give 100% protection. 
• Busted: Tablets drastically reduce your risk, but they must be combined with strict bite avoidance. No prevention method is 100% effective.  
  
  
• Myth: I can get my malaria tablets for free on the NHS.
• Busted: Malaria medication is not free on the NHS. You will typically need to pay for a private prescription or buy them over the counter at a pharmacy.
  
  
• Myth: If I haven't been bitten on holiday, I can stop taking my tablets when I return.
• Busted: Malaria can mature in the bloodstream weeks after your trip. You must    finish the entire course of medication as prescribed after returning to the UK.
  
  
• Myth: If I took medication last year and had no side effects, I will be fine taking the same ones this year.
• Busted: Different destinations require different drugs, and your personal medical history or current medications may require a doctor to switch your prescription.

Bite avoidance and mosquitoes

• Myth: Herbal products (like citronella) and electronic buzzers work well.
• Busted: There is no evidence that herbal remedies, homeopathic products, or electronic buzzers protect against malaria. The only scientifically proven repellent contains DEET.
  
  
• Myth: Buying insect repellent abroad is better as it is stronger.
• Busted: It is much safer to buy trusted products (20% to 50% DEET) from a pharmacy before you travel so you are protected from the moment you land.
  
  
• Myth: Mosquitoes only come out when it’s wet or raining.
• Busted: While they prefer wet seasons, they are active all year round in warm and dry conditions.

Symptoms and risk

• Myth: I grew up in an area with malaria, so my body is permanently immune.
• Busted: Any partial immunity you might have had disappears quickly after you live in the UK for a few years. Returning travellers are highly vulnerable.
  
  
• Myth: Malaria symptoms start immediately.
• Busted: Symptoms can take from 7 days to over a year to develop after an infected bite.
  
  
• Myth: It is just a bad flu that will go away on its own.
• Busted:  Malaria can progress to coma and death within hours without prompt medical treatment. Always seek urgent medical help if you develop a fever or flu-like symptoms up to a year after traveling to a risk area.