Malaria and Travellers

Malaria is one of the leading causes of death and morbidity worldwide. Most cases of falciparum malaria present within a month of returning from travel. The risk for a traveller of contracting malaria depends on whether prophylaxis is taken, the countries visited and the season of year; mosquito numbers and transmission rates are higher during the wet season than the dry season. The continued monitoring for the emergence and spread of drug resistance is vital to guide our choices of drugs for chemoprophylaxis and treatment of malaria in different locations. Standby emergency treatment (SBET), the self-administration of antimalarial drugs when malaria is suspected, offers a safety net for travellers who will stay in low-risk areas. The issue of counterfeit medication is also important and carriage of an SBET bought prior to travel ensures reliable quality of medication in contrast to locally bought medication.