Preventing Malaria

Awareness

It is important for customers to be aware of any potential malaria risk for the countries they are travelling to. This includes all types of traveller, such as those visiting family, going on holiday or travelling for business. Cruises or safaris may have complex itineraries and all of the countries being visited should be checked.

Some customers may think they don't need to take steps to avoid malaria if they grew up in the country they are visiting but this is not the case.
Up-to-date information can be found on the following websites:

• www.travelhealthpro.org.uk/countries
• www.travax.nhs.uk (for Scottish healthcare professionals)

Bite Prevention

Bite prevention is the first line of defence in malaria prevention, as well as helping to protect against other diseases transmitted by mosquitoes. All customers travelling to areas of malaria risk should be given advice on bite prevention (see later in this module). You should also be aware that some customers could be relying on alternative treatments that may not have sufficient evidence of effectiveness, e.g. taking supplements such as Vitamin B1, B12 or garlic, or using tea tree oil to repel mosquitoes.

Chemoprophylaxis

Anti-malarials should be tailored specifically to the country of travel, as well as to the individual. The choice depends on the parasite species, and whether there is any resistance of P. falciparum to chloroquine in the area. Before making a product recommendation find out whether:

• The customer is taking other medication
• They have any allergies
• They are affected by any medical conditions
• They are pregnant - pregnant women should be advised to speak to their GP due to the significant risk of contracting malaria in pregnancy. Remind customers of the importance of taking their medication according to the instructions.

Diagnosis

Malaria can affect any person of any age/gender/race, who has been travelling in an affected area. It can quickly lead to organ failure and be fatal. Anyone reporting symptoms who has returned from a malaria-endemic area should seek immediate medical attention.