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What do British service personnel know about malaria?
Angus Menzies1, Jeremy J H Tuck
1British Military Advisory and Training Team, Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Military Medicine
|March 15, 2006
Summary
Malaria knowledge varies within the UK armed forces, with the Army and junior personnel showing lower awareness. Improving malaria education is crucial for deployed troops to prevent imported cases and deaths.
Area of Science:
- Military health
- Tropical medicine
- Public health
Background:
- Approximately 2000 malaria cases are imported into the UK annually, resulting in 10-14 deaths.
- Existing evidence indicates poor malaria knowledge among travelers.
- This study assesses malaria awareness within the UK armed forces.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the level of malaria knowledge in a deployable UK armed forces population.
- To identify factors influencing malaria knowledge within military personnel.
Main Methods:
- A questionnaire-based survey was conducted.
- Questions covered core malaria knowledge, related health issues, beliefs, and experiences.
Main Results:
- Malaria knowledge varied across different branches of the armed forces, with the Royal Air Force demonstrating the highest and the Army the lowest.
- Personnel with longer service and higher ranks exhibited better malaria knowledge.
- While male subjects generally had good core knowledge, female subjects overall showed better understanding.
Conclusions:
- Malaria awareness levels are inconsistent within the UK armed forces.
- Knowledge is generally poorer in the Army and among personnel with shorter service durations.
- Targeted malaria education initiatives may be beneficial for specific groups within the armed forces.
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