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[Malaria prophylaxis for long-term travellers and expatriates]
Jørgen A L Kurtzhals1, Lasse S Vestergaard
1H:S Rigshospitalet, Klinisk Mikrobiologisk Afdeling, Center for Medicinsk Parasitologi, og Statens Serum Institut, Afdeling for Bakteriologi, Mykologi og Parasitologi, Parasitologisk Laboratorium, København. jkcmp@rh.dk
Ugeskrift for Laeger
|October 20, 2005
Summary
Long-term travellers often skip malaria chemoprophylaxis due to risk neglect and drug fatigue. Tailoring antimalarial strategies to individual risk and needs improves malaria prevention for travellers.
Area of Science:
- Tropical medicine
- Traveler's health
Context:
- Long-term travelers and expatriates frequently exhibit poor adherence to malaria chemoprophylaxis.
- This non-compliance stems from diminished risk perception and reluctance towards prolonged medication use.
- Existing malaria prevention regimens face challenges including limited efficacy, side effects, cost, and insufficient long-term usage data.
Purpose:
- To propose an individualized approach to malaria chemoprophylaxis for long-term travelers and expatriates.
- To address the barriers hindering consistent adherence to malaria prevention strategies.
Summary:
- Recommends personalized antimalarial strategies by assessing individual malaria risk based on local transmission and traveler factors.
- Advocates for balancing malaria risk with traveler's access to healthcare and chemoprophylaxis options.
- Suggests targeted chemoprophylaxis use during high-risk periods, such as rainy seasons or travel to endemic zones.
Impact:
- Aims to reduce the incidence of malaria among long-term travelers and expatriates.
- Promotes effective malaria prevention through tailored, risk-based chemoprophylaxis strategies.
- Enhances traveler safety by optimizing malaria drug use based on individual circumstances and risk levels.