The risk of contracting malaria is significant it to travel to a high risk area and it very important you take precautions to prevent it.  Many cases of malaria can be prevented by taking the ABCD approach:

•  Awareness of risk – find out whether you are at risk of getting malaria.

• Bite prevention – avoid mosquito bites by using insect repellent, covering your arms and legs and using a mosquito net. 

• Check whether you need to take malaria prevention tablets – if you do, make sure you take the right antimalarial tablets at the right dose, and finish the course.

• Diagnosis – seek immediate medical advice if you have malaria symptoms, including up to a year after you return from travelling.

• It is not possible to avoid mosquito bites completely but the less you are bitten, the less likely you are to get malaria.

To avoid being bitten:

• Stay somewhere that has effective air conditioning and screening on doors and windows. If this is not possible, make sure that doors and windows close properly.

• If you are not sleeping in an air-conditioned room, sleep under an intact mosquito net that has been treated with insecticide.

• Use insect repellent on your skin and in sleeping environments. Remember to re-apply it frequently. The most effective repellents contain DEET (diethyltoluamide) and are available in sprays, roll-ons, sticks and creams.

• Wear light loose-fitting trousers rather than shorts, and wear shirts with long sleeves. This is particularly important during early evening and at night, when mosquitoes prefer to feed.