Malaria news
Malaria imported to Europe from the Gambia
The WHO Weekly Epidemiological Record on 30 November 2008 reported:
"In recent weeks, several European countries have reported unusually high numbers of cases of P. falciparum infection in holiday travellers to the Gambia (West Africa) who had not taken adequate protective measures against malaria.
"This includes Finland, where in November 2008 a total of 12 tourists were diagnosed with falciparum malaria after travelling with inadequate chemoprophylaxis (three patients) or zero prophylaxis (nine patients). In Denmark, eight cases including one death were reported among tourists who had not taken antimalarial chemoprophylaxis.
"Since September 2008, the Netherlands has reported eight imported cases, including one fatal case in a tourist who had taken inadequate chemoprophylaxis. The United Kingdom has reported that at least 12 of the 17 travellers who fell ill with malaria after visiting the Gambia had not taken any chemoprophylaxis."
This was situation was unusual in that many travellers were infected within a short period. A common feature was last minute travel and discounted offers, and most tourists had not sought information about malaria risk, the need for prophylaxis or vaccinations.
West Africa has the highest risk of malaria anywhere in the world, and malaria prophylaxis is recommended for all visitors. Keep this in mind for travellers going to the Gambia during the same period in 2009.
VFR travellers to Nigeria and Ghana still bear burden of malaria
Figures released by the Health Protection Agency show that UK travellers visiting friends and family abroad, particularly in Nigeria and Ghana, continue to be the group most likely to acquire malaria. In 2008, of 1,370 cases reported in the UK, 71 per cent of those where the region of travel was known had visited West Africa. Countries with the highest number of cases were Nigeria (492) and Ghana (148).
While there has been a fall of 178 in total cases compared to 2007 (1,548 cases), the total from Nigeria was unchanged at 492 for both years and there was only a modest fall in cases from Ghana (185 in 2007). Among those who were travellers from the UK (rather than normally resident in an endemic area) where reason for travel was known, 552 of 716 (77 per cent) were visiting friends and relatives (VFRs) in their country of origin.
Previous research has shown that VFRs are less likely than other travellers to report using malaria preventative measures and, compared to other groups, are more likely to acquire malaria. The overwhelming majority (79 per cent) of all cases of malaria diagnosed in the UK were due to Plasmodium falciparum.
Full report on the Health Protection Agency's website.
New HPA publication on VFRs
Health Protection Agency. (2008) Foreign travel-associated illness - a focus on those visiting friends and relatives, London: HPA.
Order hard copies free at: tmhs@hpa.org.uk or read online on the Health Protection Agency's website.
But congratulations to Zambia!
WHO has announced that malaria deaths reported from health facilities in Zambia have declined by 66 per cent. Along with other supporting data this indicates that Zambia has reached the 2010 Roll Back Malaria target of a more than a 50 per cent reduction in malaria mortality compared to 2000. On World Malaria Day (25 April), Zambia's efforts were promoted as a model for other countries. Rwanda, the United Republic of Tanzania, and Sao Tome and Principe have also achieved major reductions in malaria mortality through accelerated malaria control activities. www.rollbackmalaria.org
Malaria Consortium
The Annual Review of the Malaria Consortium for 2007-2008 is on the Malaria Consortium website (PDF 1.39MB).
Malaria guidelines
Make sure you have a copy! Malaria guidelines for travellers from the UK is available free in hard copy and can be downloaded from the Health Protection Agency website.
Celebrities join the malaria battle
Sports celebrities David Beckham, Andy Murray and Olympic gold medallist Denise Lewis met with Prime Minister Gordon Brown in April to back the "Malaria No More" UK campaign.
The athletes urged Mr Brown to meet his promise to deliver 20 million malaria nets to Africa by next year. So far almost 10 million nets have been delivered and a further 1.9 million are pending from the UK. David Beckham said: "For less than the cost of a football you can protect a family from dying. I urge the UK public to get behind the Malaria No More UK campaign to save a life and make malaria no more."
Beckham and Murray are members of the Malaria No More UK Leadership Council: www.malarianomore.org.uk
All Party Parliamentary Malaria Group
The APPMG has launched its fourth report, Delivering control to those in need: how to succeed in a time of real hope. As the title implies, they had gathered evidence from around the world throughout the year and were able to be more optimistic than in the first report, published three years ago.
Malaria No More gets new Ambassador
Jo Yirrell's son died of malaria three years ago. Harry was building schools in Ghana. He thought the local people needed his malaria pills more than he did and left them behind. Sadly he died of malaria a week after returning home to the UK.
Since then his mother has campaigned to raise awareness of malaria and how to prevent it. As an ambassador for the Malaria No More charity, Jo visited the fishing village where Harry worked to see for herself why he loved Ghana and its people, and to try to work with the locals to beat the disease. In June she met International Development Minister, Mike Foster to discuss the campaign.
Jo tells Harry's story at: www.malariahotspots.co.uk/beenThere_vid12.asp
Malaria matters: Best practice in malaria prevention advice
This educational CD-ROM is designed to enable users to become fully conversant with malaria prevention. The interactive tool is divided into five modules and includes an animated version of the malaria lifecycle, and "real time" interactive case studies and patient consultations. The CD was written by Jane Chiodini, former THF Chair, and has gained RCN accreditation. It is also endorsed by the British Travel Health Association and supported by a grant from GlaxoSmithKline Travel Health.
New name for APPMG
Malaria will remain the main focus of the group's activities, but there are many other diseases in the developing world that do not have a voice. Thus the APPMG has extended its remit to cover Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). www.appmg-malaria.org.uk