Travellers often have the misconception that, if they travel to malaria areas for very short periods of time, they do not need to worry about malaria prophylaxis because there is little risk of infection. Travellers are advised to seek advice on the presence of malaria risk and the best drugs to take to help prevent malaria, and protect themselves from mosquito bites on holiday by using repellents between dusk and dawn and insecticide-treated mosquito nets where necessary. No antimalarial prophylactic regimen gives complete protection, and if travellers fall ill during or after the holiday they should seek medical attention quickly. Initial symptoms of malaria may be mild and include fever, malaise and flu-like symptoms. If they get a fever, travellers should get immediate medical care and insist on a laboratory test for malaria.
Malaria is a curable disease if treated immediately.
If untreated, sufferers can lapse into coma and die. A proper travel history given to the health provider can be life-saving. WHO estimates that more than one million people, primarily African children, die of malaria annually, while there are an estimated 300 million cases of malaria in over 100 countries around the world. Roll Back Malaria a global partnership movement seeking to halve the malaria burden by the year 2010 - with its secretariat at WHO counsels travellers to take all necessary precautions against contracting malaria. We urge travellers and tourists to enquire whether malaria transmission occurs in the places they are going to visit.