Solutions & prevention
Malaria prevention and treatment for travellers
Malaria is a serious, sometimes fatal illness spread by mosquito bites in many tropical countries. The good news is that most cases in UK travellers are preventable with a sensible plan: avoid bites, take the right tablets, and act fast on any fever after you return. This guide explains how travellers can protect themselves and what to do if malaria is suspected.
Education and reference only. This article explains how treatments work in plain language — it contains no doses and is not a substitute for advice from your doctor or pharmacist. Always discuss your own treatment with a qualified clinician.
Understanding the risk
Malaria is caused by a parasite passed to people through the bite of an infected mosquito, mainly at dusk and during the night. It is found in large parts of Africa, Asia, Central and South America, and the Pacific, but the risk varies enormously between and within countries and by season. The most dangerous type can become life-threatening within a day or two. UK travellers most often catch malaria visiting friends and relatives in their country of heritage, partly because they may feel less at risk than tourists. Before any trip, it is worth checking the specific risk for your exact destination, because the right precautions depend on where you are going.
The ABCD of prevention
UK travel advice sums up malaria prevention as ABCD. A is Awareness of risk — know whether malaria occurs where you are going. B is Bite prevention — the foundation of protection. C is Chemoprophylaxis — taking antimalarial tablets when advised. D is Diagnosis — seeking urgent testing for any fever during or after travel. No single measure is perfect, so they work together. Even people taking tablets must still prevent bites, because no tablet is fully guaranteed. Thinking through all four before you travel, ideally at a travel health appointment several weeks ahead, gives you the best chance of staying well.
Avoiding mosquito bites
Bite prevention is the part you control every day and it matters even if you are taking tablets. Cover up with long sleeves and trousers, especially from dusk onwards when malaria mosquitoes bite. Apply an effective insect repellent to exposed skin and reapply as directed, using it over sunscreen. Sleep under an insecticide-treated bed net if your room is not properly screened or air-conditioned, and check the net for holes. Simple habits — keeping doors and windows screened, and being extra careful in the evening and at night — substantially reduce your chance of being bitten, and therefore your chance of catching malaria.
Antimalarial tablets
For higher-risk destinations, antimalarial tablets are strongly advised. Several options exist, and the right one depends on where you are travelling, your health, other medicines, pregnancy and personal preference, so this should be chosen with a pharmacist, GP or travel clinic rather than guessed. The golden rule is that tablets only work if taken exactly as prescribed: many are started before you travel, taken throughout the trip, and continued for a set period after you return, because the parasite can still emerge later. Missing doses or stopping early is a common reason prevention fails. If side effects trouble you, ask about switching rather than simply stopping.
What to do if malaria is suspected
This is the most important message: any fever, or flu-like illness with chills, headache and aching muscles, during travel or in the year after returning from a malaria area, must be treated as possible malaria and tested urgently. Do not wait to see if it passes, and do not assume tablets have protected you. Seek medical help the same day and mention your travel. Malaria is diagnosed with a blood test and treated effectively when caught early, usually in hospital for the dangerous type. Warning signs such as confusion, breathlessness, jaundice or collapse are emergencies — call 999. Early testing and treatment save lives.
In short
Key takeaways
- Malaria is preventable but can be fatal; check the specific risk for your exact destination before travelling.
- Remember ABCD: Awareness of risk, Bite prevention, Chemoprophylaxis (tablets), and prompt Diagnosis of fever.
- Prevent bites with covering clothing, repellent and an insecticide-treated bed net, even if you take tablets.
- Antimalarial tablets only work if taken exactly as prescribed, including the doses after you return home.
- Any fever during or within a year of travel to a malaria area needs urgent testing — do not wait.
Answers
Frequently asked questions
Do I still need to prevent bites if I take malaria tablets?
Yes, absolutely. No antimalarial tablet gives complete protection, so bite prevention remains essential. Cover up in the evening and at night, use repellent, and sleep under an insecticide-treated net where needed.
How do I choose the right antimalarial tablets?
The best choice depends on your destination, health, other medicines and whether you are pregnant, so see a pharmacist, GP or travel clinic several weeks before travel. They will recommend a suitable option and explain exactly how and when to take it.
I feel unwell weeks after my trip — could it still be malaria?
Yes. Malaria can appear weeks or even months after returning. Any fever or flu-like illness within a year of visiting a malaria area should be checked urgently, and you should tell the clinician about your travel.
Go deeper
Related guides
Sources
Where this is drawn from
- UK Health Security Agency — Guidelines for malaria prevention in travellers from the UK.
- TravelHealthPro (National Travel Health Network and Centre) — Malaria and country information.
- NHS — Malaria: prevention.
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