Public HealthUK Travellers Could Pay The Price For Paradise - More Brits Considering Long Haul Trips But Ignoring The Threat Of Malaria
Brits taking advantage of last-minute credit crunch deals to tropical destinations could be seriously risking their health, according to a survey of over 1,000 UK travellers.1
Published to coincide with Malaria Awareness Week, the survey has revealed that while over half of the 1,004 (52%) Survey of 1,004 people - Malaria Awareness Campaign Holiday Health Survey (2009), Tickbox.net, April 2009 questioned will consider travelling to a long haul destination rather than Europe this year, a shocking 63%1 will think first about buying new clothes, looking good and working out what they will do when they get there, rather than seeking travel health advice to avoid potentially deadly diseases such as malaria.
Only just over a quarter of those surveyed (27%)1 said they would consider seeking travel health advice before they fly off. This attitude was particularly rife among 16-24 year-olds, 78% Sample of 55 16-24 year olds from the Survey of 1,004 people - Malaria Awareness Campaign Holiday Health Survey (2009), Tickbox.net, April 2009 of whom placed having fun and looking good at the top of their priority list. Only 4%2 in this age group said they would seek travel health advice after booking their bargain break.
Furthermore, of those who had already visited a country with a malaria risk, more than a quarter (26%) Sample of 443 who had visited a country with a malaria risk, from the Survey of 1,004 people - Malaria Awareness Campaign Holiday Health Survey (2009), Tickbox.net, April 2009 did not take antimalarials on their last trip. Slightly less than half of those surveyed were not aware that Thailand (49%)1 and the Dominican Republic (41%)1 have malaria risks, despite Thailand being the most popular winter destination for travellers in 2008-9, with bookings up 18% from last year. Winter booking figures for 2008/09 for UK holidaymakers departing by end of February 2009, Ascent Market Intelligence
Between 1,500 and 2,000 travellers have returned to the UK with malaria every year for the last ten years, with over 70% of cases contracting the most dangerous strain, Plasmodium falciparumFigures taken from cases over a ten year period from Imported malaria cases and deaths, United Kingdom: 1989-2008, Health Protection Agency, April 2009. Available here. [Accessed 30 April 2009].
Despite increased awareness of the dangers of malaria among British travellers, an
average of 10 people returning to the UK with the disease die every year.5
Frances Tuke, representative of the Travel Association, ABTA, says: "The survey results are particularly worrying as this year we have seen an increase in people booking last minute holidays, mainly due to the strong Euro against a weak pound making long-haul travel to tropical destinations particularly attractive."
Frances continues: "Malaria is increasingly a major health concern for British travellers who are travelling further afield. What"s worrying about the results of this survey is not only the ignorance that exists around the countries that carry a risk of malaria, but the fact that travellers" priorities are fixed on trivial matters such as buying new clothes rather then seeking travel health advice."
While the trend for long haul travel bookings is good news for the tourism industry, it could be bad news for travellers" health: "We know from studies that people who book their trips at the last minute are much less likely to seek travel health advice before they go," says Dr George Kassianos, GP and member of the UK Malaria Guidelines Committee.
"Deaths can occur within 24 hours of the first symptoms of the most dangerous strain of malaria, so all travellers need to recognise the importance of speaking to their GP, practice nurse or travel clinic before going abroad. Ideally, appointments should be made six to eight weeks before travel, but even later than this, your healthcare professional can still recommend a number of options."
Malaria is one of the world"s biggest killers - but it is overall preventable if the right steps are taken, such as avoiding being bitten and taking antimalarial medication as instructed: "With people visiting more exotic destinations and malaria hotspots changing over time, up-to-date health advice should be considered just as essential as renewing your passport," adds Dr Kassianos.
For more information on malaria, please visit: http://www.malariahotspots.co.uk. To find out if your next holiday destination is a malaria hotspot, text the destination to 07800 000 571.
GlaxoSmithKline Travel Health