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Malaria Risk For Gap-Year Travellers

1st October 2008

A Mosquito

Simple steps can ensure your teenager’s health is protected in global malaria hotspots

If your teenager is travelling to Africa or South East Asia on their gap year, there is a very real risk that they could contract malaria. The majority of gap year travellers will visit a malaria hotspot on their year off, but many fail to take even basic precautions, new research has shown.

Conducted on behalf of the Malaria Awareness Campaign by Gapyear.com, the survey of 977 gap year travellers shows that nearly one in four are putting their lives at risk by not obtaining travel health advice before their trip. The survey also revealed that a third (33%) of gap year travellers did not take antimalarials, while 41% did not sleep under a mosquito net, despite travelling to areas where the disease is prevalent.

One in ten travellers didn’t use bite prevention methods such as mosquito repellent, and half of those who did were uncertain as to whether it contained at least 50% DEET, the substance recommended to provide a good level of protection against getting bitten by mosquitoes, which could be carrying the disease.

Only one in ten of those rated their knowledge of malaria as good, while nearly a third admitted it was poor.

Tom Griffiths, founder of Gapyear.com says: ‘An estimated 250,000 gap year students will head off on their gap year holidays this year and more than three quarters will visit malaria endemic areas.

Every year between 1,500 and 2,000 people return to the UK with malaria and on average nine people will die from this preventable disease. According to the World Health Organisation, the real figure may even be three times as high due to underreporting. With the most deadly strain of malaria on the increase - accounting for nearly 75% of all reported cases in UK travellers – it has never been more important for travellers to make sure that they are protected.

Professor Goodyer shares important travel health advice to keep your teenager healthy before, during and after travelling:

  • BEFORE:
  • Make sure your teenager visits a health professional such as your GP, practice nurse or travel clinic, to discuss antimalarial and travel vaccination requirements, ideally six to eight weeks prior to travelling to obtain the best advice
  • Plan a travel itinerary and advise the healthcare professional of destinations as some may be malaria hotspots
  • DURING:
  • Always follow the advice of a healthcare professional in regards to using bite prevention methods and following a course of antimalarials as prescribed
  • Ensure you use insect repellent and that it contains at least 50% DEET
  • Keep extremities covered, especially at dusk and dawn
  • Sleep under a insecticide treated mosquito net if in an endemic area
  • AFTER:
  • Make sure the course of antimalarial is completed as prescribed, even when your teenager is back at home, as malaria parasites remain in the body
  • If your teenager develops flu-like symptoms on returning home, consult a health professional immediately and tell them that they have been travelling

For more information visit www.malariahotspots.co.uk

Stay Safe in the Sun




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