Malaria is a serious parasitic infection spread through the bite of an infected mosquito. Five species of the Plasmodium parasite can cause malaria in people. Malaria occurs in many tropical parts of the world including parts of Africa, Asia, Central and South America, the Caribbean, the Middle East and some Pacific islands. Malaria can be prevented and is usually curable if it is diagnosed and treated promptly.
Every year, about 1,500 cases of malaria are diagnosed in travellers returning to, or arriving in, the UK from other countries. Between 2014 and 2023, an average of six UK travellers died from malaria each year. The risk of malaria depends on when and where travel occurs, the activities undertaken, the type of accommodation used and the effectiveness of measures taken to prevent mosquito bites, including malaria prevention tablets.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) update the Guidelines for malaria prevention in travellers from the UK each year. These guidelines provide country-specific information on malaria risk and prevention. This information is also available in our Country Information pages.
Climate change may affect where mosquitoes and malaria parasites can survive, potentially changing malaria risk areas in some parts of the world. In addition, rapid urbanisation and the spread of the Anopheles stephensi mosquito, which thrives in urban areas, could increase the risk of malaria in some towns and cities in sub-Saharan Africa. Because malaria risk patterns can change over time, the malaria advice in our Country Information pages is regularly reviewed.
Anyone travelling to areas where malaria occurs is at risk of infection. This risk is often underestimated by people who were born in malaria risk areas and are returning to visit friends and relatives. Any immunity travellers may have acquired in their country of origin is lost over time after living in the UK or other countries where malaria does not occur. Children born in the UK will have no protection against malaria. Some travellers are at increased risk of severe malaria, including pregnant women, those with an absent or poorly functioning spleen, infants and young children and older travellers.
Symptoms of malaria can vary, but commonly include fever, headache, tiredness, and muscle aches. Some people may also develop a cough or diarrhoea. Malaria from all species can be serious, but malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum is particularly dangerous and can quickly become life-threatening without prompt treatment.
Prevention
Preventing malaria involves several important steps, which can be remembered using the 'ABCD' of malaria prevention:
Awareness of the risk: Check our Country Information pages before travel to find out if there is a risk of malaria at the destination.
Bite prevention: Protect against mosquito bites by using insect repellent day and night, wearing loosely fitting clothes, that ideally cover arms and legs and sleeping under an insecticide treated mosquito net. This helps reduce the risk of being bitten by mosquitoes that can transmit malaria.
Chemoprophylaxis (malaria prevention tablets): Check our Country Information pages to find out whether malaria prevention tablets are recommended for the destination. While these medicines do not provide 100% protection, when used together with bite avoidance measures, they can greatly reduce the risk of malaria.
Some malaria prevention tablets may not be suitable for everyone, particularly people with certain medical conditions or taking other medicines. Speak to a health professional about the most suitable option. There is currently no vaccine available to prevent malaria in travellers.
Diagnosis (prompt diagnosis and treatment): Travellers should be aware of the signs and symptoms of malaria and seek urgent medical advice if they develop them, even if malaria prevention tablets have been taken. Symptoms can occur during the trip or after return, sometimes up to a year later. Travellers should be encouraged to seek medical advice if unwell and to report any recent travel to malaria-risk areas.