Malaria treatments

Malaria is a disease found in tropical and subtropical regions, including large parts of Africa and Asia. Central and South America, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and areas in the Middle East. Some Pacific islands are also considered places of risk. You can catch malaria if you’re bitten by an infected mosquito and although symptoms can be mild and flu-like, the disease can be fatal. So, it’s vital to protect yourself with malaria tablets.

How is malaria spread?

Malaria is an infection caused by parasites, the one that is the most dangerous to humans is Plasmodium falciparum. It’s carried by female Anopheles mosquitoes in their saliva when they’ve bitten an already infected person. The parasite is then transmitted when they bite and feed on the blood of other humans.

It can’t be passed from person to person, although mothers can transmit it to their unborn baby. Contaminated needles, blood transfusion and organ transplants may also transmit malaria, but this is rare.

What are the symptoms?

Malaria symptoms can feel very much like the flu. They include high fever, chills, sweats, vomiting, muscle pains, diarrhoea and headaches. If you experience any of these while you’re in a malaria-risk area, or for up to a year afterwards, you should get medical help straight away. While you can treat malaria, it may recur.

How to prevent malaria

The likelihood of getting bitten can depend on lots of different factors, so it’s a good idea to protect yourself in malaria-risk areas whatever the time of day.

You should follow all the usual best advice on prevention, including using insect repellent containing 50% DEET. Your pharmacist can tell you more about this. However, anti-malaria tablets are the only way to help avoid the disease if you're bitten.

How to get malaria tablets

Not all anti-malaria drugs are suitable for every region, so you should check which tablets are recommended for the country or countries you’re travelling to. Before completing a consultation, you’ll need to visit Travel Health Pro to find out if malaria pills are needed and which ones are recommended for your destination.

With a simple online consultation, we can make sure antimalarial tablets are right for you. Request the treatment and pack size you need based on the number of days you’re away. Tell us the countries you’re visiting, and we’ll make sure the treatment is suitable and safe for you. If approved, your malaria tablets can be delivered to your door. Or you can collect them in person from over 700 Well Pharmacies.

https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/malaria/facts