Guidelines for malaria prevention in travellers: what is new?

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 228 million cases of malaria occurred worldwide in 2018, with approximately 405 000 deaths, 67% of which were in children under 5 years old, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa (WHO, 2019a). WHO advises that international travellers are at risk of malaria infection in 87 countries worldwide, mainly in Africa, Asia and Latin America. WHO recommends that before visiting malaria risk areas, travellers should consult their national disease control centres, or other institutions offering travel advice, for information regarding malaria prevention measures (WHO, 2019b).

Malaria is a severe and potentially life-threatening febrile illness caused by infection with the parasite Plasmodium. This parasite is spread by the bite of a female Anopheles mosquito in tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. There are five species of Plasmodium that cause malaria in humans: P. falciparum (responsible for the most dangerous type of malaria and the most likely to be fatal), P. vivax, P. ovale, P. malariae and P. knowlesi (Public Health England [PHE], 2019a).