Introduction

Your guide to malaria-free travelling

Malaria is a disease that kills

...yet in the middle of the last century, most doctors were confident that malaria was beaten and was no longer a serious problem. The disease was well controlled in areas where it had once been very common, and available medicines worked well.

Now the picture is very different, and malaria has started to reappear once again. In fact, malaria now kills more people than it did 30 years ago. There are several reasons for this, but one important cause is the progressive development of resistance to many of the drugs that once controlled the disease so successfully.

The travelling public now has an alternative to existing drugs for emergency treatment of malaria during business or leisure trips abroad. This medication, derived from the plant Artemesia, has been used for centuries in China to reduce fevers and other symptoms associated with malaria.

Novartis, a leading life-sciences company, has co-developed a combination drug based on Artemesia, which is now available for use in many countries. Your doctor can tell you if it is available where you live.

This site provides you with key information about the disease, and the measures that you need to take to ensure your safety if you are visiting a malarious area.