Gap Year News Articles

Expert gives tips on avoiding malaria following Cheryl's scare

12 Jul 2010

Dr Joanna Longstaffe, clinical director of the Independent General Practice, has outlined the simple steps that gap year travellers should take in order to avoid malaria, whilst warning that the dangers of the disease "are not fully appreciated". The advice has come after singer Cheryl Cole was forced to cancel her V Festival performance and pull out of the X Factor bootcamp having been infected with the disease during a recent visit to Tanzania.

The expert said in an interview with Wales Online that anti-malaria tablets "are about 99% effective against particular strains of malaria but some strains are resistant," and she warned about people's complacency towards the disease.

Dr Longstaffe recommended that you should "take the anti-malaria medication recommended for the area you are travelling to", which for most areas is the expensive but effective and convenient 'Malarone'. She added: "I would also advise people to buy a mosquito net and take an insect repellent containing DEET. Avoiding getting bitten is as important as taking an antimalarial."