Travel clinic form
Malaria drugs info sheet |
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Malaria prevention
Its a sobering fact that globally malaria still kills more people than any other disease, war or civil disaster. So there are many parts of the world where malaria prevention is absolutely essential.
Mosquitoes are most active from dusk to dawn. Malaria is only one of the problems they can cause. Other problems include local reactions and infections at the site of the bite, Yellow Fever, dengue fever and Japanese B encephalitis.
Malaria prevention begins with the simple, but highly effective measure, that is to avoid getting bitten, i.e.:
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sleep in a room that is properly screened with close-fitting gauze over the doors, windows & possible entry points
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sleep under a net if screening is not available or you are out of doors
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spray the room with knockdown repellent to kill any mosquitoes that have entered during the day
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use pyrethroid coils or heat insecticide tablets (carefully) during the night [electronic 'buzzing' devices do not work]
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spray exposed skin with repellent after sunset
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wear long sleeves, trousers and socks after sunset to avoid bites
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mosquitoes are less attracted to light coloured clothing
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spray thin clothes with repellent as mosquitoes will bite through them
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refined lemon eucalyptus oil on skin also repels mosquitoes
Source: Pharmaceutical Journal, Vol. 267, 21/Jul/2001 Additionally, there are a number of drugs available for malaria prevention. Details of these drugs can be found
here, in a
document taken from the Fit For Travel website. Please see our nurses in the travel clinic to decide which is appropriate for you. The following
points should be considered with respect to these drugs:
don't assume the tablets you took last time are still appropriate or that travel to a nearby place means the same prevention is needed - malaria exists in different forms and some drugs are specified for certain
prevailing variants, so
always check with our travel clinic take the tablets exactly as specified - do not be tempted to miss any out whatsoever start the medicine as specified before your trip to enable the protection to begin as well as to learn of any side-effects before you depart keep taking the medicine whilst you are away do not stop taking the medicine until specified as malaria parasites can survive in the body after you have returned malaria tablets do not give you an absolute guarantee that you will not get malaria if you have symptoms of malaria (fever, shivers, sweating, backache, joint pains, diarrhoea or delirium) get prompt medical advice and say that you have been to a malarious area malaria is commonest in the three months after you return but can occur up to one year later some medicines can be purchased directly from a pharmacist, others require a prescription malaria medicines are not available on NHS prescription
Further information on the drugs used for malaria
can be found at the
Electronic Medicines Compendium, the links for the drugs are:
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