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Title – Malaria be Aware
Source – The Travel Magazine
Date – 31st March 2008
I have travelled to many of the parts of the world where the blight of Malaria has a crippling grip on local populations. That 300 million people a year are affected by this debilitating disease and well over a million die, can not leave anyone in any doubt that it is one of the world’s most disgraceful truths, that a curable and preventable disease still has such a grip over so many.
On my travels to these countries I still (and increasingly) come across travellers who ignore the readily available facts about this disease and most annoyingly not only put their own health in severe danger, but preach to others with bravado that travel without the use of Malaria prophylactics is somehow a sign of a hardened traveller.
These people are not just ignorant and a danger to themselves, but irresponsible and arrogant beyond belief. The very fact that they question the cost of the pills while still being able to travel round the world is both selfish and naïve. Malaria is not necessarily a life threatening disease if you are lucky enough to have access to first class medical care and UK travellers might know they have the protection of the NHS should they contract Malaria. But be in no doubt, Malaria is no fun to have, while it rarely kills UK citizens, it can; it will ruin your trip and your year, you will be more ill then at almost any other time in your life; some strains of the disease can also reoccur, so while you may think that a few months off work at this point in your life is an acceptable risk, after the second or third occurrence, you will start to regret the relatively low expense and ‘inconvenience’ of taking a few pills on your trip.
I seem to have the same argument with the people I meet on my travels who tell everyone they meet what a hero they are for not taking prophylactic drugs. I present the facts and dispel the myths; that they don’t get bitten; that they have a josstick that protects them against bites; that they drink lots of G&T or eat marmite sandwiches. I thought that the internet and better education had stopped this uneducated approach to medical myth, but apparently not.
Can you tell how much these ignorant people grate on me yet? It’s not them, but those they try and influence that concern me, in my less tolerant moods I wish the NHS would charge them the thousands of pounds of tax payers money that is ‘wasted’ on the large proportion of the 2000 British citizens that contract Malaria while abroad each year because they don’t take adequate and wholly available preventative measures.
Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop presents the real facts. Not just how to protect yourself from Malaria by visiting your doctor or travel clinic before you travel, but the equally important measures you should be taking to prevent yourself being bitten in the first place. We are in the business of presenting the facts and dispelling all those myths that do the rounds of hostels and guest houses, throughout the Malaria belt and beyond.
Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.
Source – The Travel Magazine
Date – 31st March 2008
I have travelled to many of the parts of the world where the blight of Malaria has a crippling grip on local populations. That 300 million people a year are affected by this debilitating disease and well over a million die, can not leave anyone in any doubt that it is one of the world’s most disgraceful truths, that a curable and preventable disease still has such a grip over so many.
On my travels to these countries I still (and increasingly) come across travellers who ignore the readily available facts about this disease and most annoyingly not only put their own health in severe danger, but preach to others with bravado that travel without the use of Malaria prophylactics is somehow a sign of a hardened traveller.
These people are not just ignorant and a danger to themselves, but irresponsible and arrogant beyond belief. The very fact that they question the cost of the pills while still being able to travel round the world is both selfish and naïve. Malaria is not necessarily a life threatening disease if you are lucky enough to have access to first class medical care and UK travellers might know they have the protection of the NHS should they contract Malaria. But be in no doubt, Malaria is no fun to have, while it rarely kills UK citizens, it can; it will ruin your trip and your year, you will be more ill then at almost any other time in your life; some strains of the disease can also reoccur, so while you may think that a few months off work at this point in your life is an acceptable risk, after the second or third occurrence, you will start to regret the relatively low expense and ‘inconvenience’ of taking a few pills on your trip.
I seem to have the same argument with the people I meet on my travels who tell everyone they meet what a hero they are for not taking prophylactic drugs. I present the facts and dispel the myths; that they don’t get bitten; that they have a josstick that protects them against bites; that they drink lots of G&T or eat marmite sandwiches. I thought that the internet and better education had stopped this uneducated approach to medical myth, but apparently not.
Can you tell how much these ignorant people grate on me yet? It’s not them, but those they try and influence that concern me, in my less tolerant moods I wish the NHS would charge them the thousands of pounds of tax payers money that is ‘wasted’ on the large proportion of the 2000 British citizens that contract Malaria while abroad each year because they don’t take adequate and wholly available preventative measures.
Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop presents the real facts. Not just how to protect yourself from Malaria by visiting your doctor or travel clinic before you travel, but the equally important measures you should be taking to prevent yourself being bitten in the first place. We are in the business of presenting the facts and dispelling all those myths that do the rounds of hostels and guest houses, throughout the Malaria belt and beyond.
Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.
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