Do I really need to take precaution/prophylacsis against malaria when I travel t!
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Malaria is a huge problem in Tanzania. If you go there without taking precautions, you are almost assured to get it.
Keep in mind that malaria is the number one killer of children in Tanzania.
Taking the prophylactic medicine,even with the rare side effects, is far less risky than not taking it and contracting malaria.
My suggestion for travelling to Tanzania? Bring a 55 gallon drum of mosquito repellant with you. :P
Other Answers:
Although I would also endorse mosquito repellant and other precautions (bed nets) to minimize exposure, I disagree a bit with the previous answer, given the current state of malaria drugs and drug-resistance in East Africa:
- The old prophylactic of choice, chloroquine, is now largely ineffective.
- Others, notably mefloquine, have shown worrisome side-effects, including psychological disturbances. And the effectiveness of many of these is now in doubt.
- The latest, greatest treatment for malaria contains a derivative of artemisinin (usually artesunate) which is extracted from a plant which grows in Tanzania (and elsewhere). This drug is so effective, and so rapid in its action that it actually pays to forgo prophylaxis and simply keep a supply on hand. Because side effects are virtually non-existent, it also makes sense to go ahead and dose yourself if you can’t get a reliable diagnosis (i.e., you’re out in the bush) and you start experiencing severe malaria-like symptoms.
Artemisinin has yet to be widely used / abused, so no resistant malaria has turned up so far. But it is a likely candidate for abuse -- people feel so much better so quickly they may neglect to complete their dose schedule (leaving some malaria parasites in their system, which can then evolve resistance). It is therefore very important that you complete a (5-6 day) dose of this medicine once you start taking it, and seek urgent medical attention if your symptoms don’t improve within 24 hours. Other dangerous diseases, such as typhoid, can easily be mistaken for malaria.
You may not be able to find this drug in Europe or the U.S., but it is available once you get to Tanzania. Make sure you get it at a reliable pharmacy, as there have been some tragic cases of counterfeit artemisinin getting on the market. Also make sure you have some with you when you leave Tanzania. Malaria infection can crop up as much as 6 weeks after exposure, western doctors are often not good at diagnosing it, and they may not have treatments as effective as the artemisinin, which has yet to be reviewed by major western health agencies.
Source(s):
friends & personal experience
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