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Emergency Self Treatment
Self-treatment should be considered for travellers who will be in remote areas for extended periods, especially when:
- medical attention may not be readily available
- using a less effective prophylactic (preventative) medication, or none at all
Travellers carrying emergency self-treatment medication need to be clear on the symptoms of malaria* and how to take the prescribed self-treatment medication. (*If malaria is suspected, a malaria testing kit may be used for confirmation.)
Following emergency self-treatment, it is important that supervised medical treatment begin as soon as possible after infection is confirmed. Microscopic examination should be used to exclude other infections.
Treatment Options
Malarone: (adult use only)
- Effective and safe, few side effects.
- Take 4 tablets daily with food for 3 days.
- More expensive.
Riamet: (adults over 35kg)
- Six doses over 60 hours (total 24 tabs). For individual dosage details, an additional information sheet will be issued to each traveller.
Qing Hausu derivatives: (e.g. Cotexin, Arsumox, Artemether)
- Widely available in Africa and Asia
- Effective and cheap.
- Used with doxycycline or mefloquine to prevent recurrence.
- Best used in a clinical setting.