The best way to prevent malaria is to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes. There are lots of things you can do to reduce your risk of getting bitten. You should also take drugs to protect you from malaria. But no treatment can protect you completely. If you get a fever and symptoms similar to the flu after visiting Asia, Africa or South America, then you should see a doctor at once. We've looked closely at the research and ranked the treatments into categories, according to whether they work. We have ranked treatments for adults, pregnant women, and children separately because the risks of each treatment are different depending how old you are and if you are pregnant. The types of drugs you need when travelling to a country where malaria is common may change over time. This is because some types of malaria become resistant to some drugs. This means the drug no longer protects you against the disease. Even if you have been to a country before, you need to check which drug to take next time you go.

BMJ; Friday 9 January 2009