Malaria Prevention and Antimalarial Advice
Planning a trip abroad? Depending on your destination and travel plans, you may need antimalarial tablets to help reduce your risk of malaria. At Ready Health Clinic in Standish, near Wigan, our travel health consultations help you understand the malaria risk for your trip and the prevention options that suit you.
The £20 fee covers the 15-minute consultation only. Any medication or additional services are charged separately unless stated otherwise.
What is malaria?
Malaria is a potentially serious infection caused by parasites passed to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. It occurs in many tropical and subtropical regions, including parts of Africa, Asia, and Central and South America.
It can cause fever, chills, headache, muscle aches and feeling generally unwell, and it can become life-threatening if diagnosis and treatment are delayed. Symptoms can start during your trip or after you return home.
Unwell after travel?
If you develop a fever or feel unwell after visiting a malaria-risk area, seek urgent medical assessment the same day and tell the clinician where you have been. This applies even if you took antimalarial tablets, and for up to a year after you return.
Emergency: 999 · Urgent advice: NHS 111
Malaria can be serious, but the right travel advice, mosquito bite prevention and antimalarial medication where recommended can greatly reduce the risk.
Do I need antimalarial tablets?
Not every trip needs them. Malaria risk is not the same everywhere: it varies between countries, between regions within a country, by season and by how you travel. Two people visiting the same country can get different advice. The clinician will consider:
- Your exact itineraryCountries, regions, cities versus rural areas, and any stopovers.
- Timing and length of stayRainy seasons can raise risk, and longer trips mean more exposure.
- How you are travellingSafari, trekking, backpacking, cruising, business or staying with family.
- AccommodationAir-conditioned hotels, screened rooms, camping or overnight travel.
- Your healthMedical conditions, pregnancy or plans for pregnancy, and past reactions to medicines.
- Your regular medicinesSome antimalarials interact with other medicines, so bring a list.
For some destinations the advice will be antimalarial tablets plus bite prevention; for others, bite prevention and awareness alone. Either way, you leave with advice that matches your trip rather than a one-size-fits-all answer.
The ABCD of malaria prevention
UK guidance uses a simple four-part approach. Your consultation covers each one.
- A
Awareness of risk
Understand whether malaria is present where you are going, and how high the risk is.
- B
Bite prevention
Malaria mosquitoes mainly bite from dusk to dawn. Use an effective repellent, cover up and sleep under a treated net.
- C
Chemoprophylaxis
Take antimalarial tablets when recommended, exactly as directed, including after you return.
- D
Diagnosis
Seek urgent medical help for any fever or flu-like illness during or after travel.
How antimalarial options differ
There are several types of antimalarial tablet, and the most suitable one depends on your destination, health and plans. The main differences are:
Suitability
Not every antimalarial is effective in every region, and some are not suitable in pregnancy or with certain conditions.
Daily or weekly
Some are taken every day, others once a week. Which is easier for you can matter.
When to start
Some begin a day or two before travel; others need starting up to three weeks ahead.
After you return
Courses usually continue for one to four weeks after leaving the risk area.
If antimalarial medication is appropriate, the clinician will explain the options, how to take them, possible side effects and the cost. Medication, prescription and supply costs are separate from the £20 consultation fee and depend on your assessment and the prescribing or supply arrangements available.
What happens in your 15-minute consultation
- Your trip – we go through where you are going, when, for how long and what you will be doing.
- Your health – we check your medical history, current medicines, allergies, and pregnancy or breastfeeding.
- Your risk – we explain the malaria risk for your itinerary in plain language.
- Your plan – you get bite prevention advice and, where recommended, a discussion of suitable antimalarial options and their costs.
- Know the signs – we cover what to watch for and when to seek urgent help.
Please bring
- Your full itinerary, including stopovers
- Your travel dates
- A list of any medicines you take
- Details of any medical conditions
- Any previous travel vaccine or antimalarial records
Who should seek malaria advice?
Anyone heading to a country where malaria is present, and especially:
If you grew up in a malaria-risk country, any immunity fades quickly once you live elsewhere, so you need the same protection as other travellers.
Why choose Ready Health for malaria advice?
NHS-trained clinicians
All our clinicians are NHS trained and registered with the GMC, NMC or GPhC.
CQC-registered clinic
Care delivered in a regulated private clinic on Standish High Street.
Clear pricing
£20 for 15 minutes, with any further costs explained before you decide.
Local and accessible
Easy to reach from Wigan, Chorley and surrounding areas.
Book your malaria prevention consultation
Choose a time below. The travel health consultation is £20 for 15 minutes. Try to book 4 to 6 weeks before departure, or as soon as possible if you are leaving sooner.
The fee covers the consultation only. Medication and other services are separate.
Booking form not loading? Open online booking or call 01257 676 001.
Malaria prevention FAQs
Do I need malaria tablets for my trip?
It depends on exactly where you are going, the time of year, how long you will stay, the type of accommodation and what you will be doing, as well as your own health. Malaria risk varies a great deal between countries and even between regions of the same country. Some trips need antimalarial tablets, some need bite prevention only, and some carry no meaningful risk. A short consultation lets a clinician look at your full itinerary and advise you properly.
How far in advance should I book a malaria consultation?
Ideally 4 to 6 weeks before you travel. This leaves time to discuss options, arrange any vaccinations you also need and, for some antimalarials, to start the course before you leave. If you are travelling sooner, book anyway: last-minute advice is still worthwhile and many options can be started shortly before departure.
How much does the malaria consultation cost?
The travel health consultation is £20 for a 15-minute appointment. The fee covers your individual assessment and malaria prevention advice only. Any antimalarial medication, prescription or other travel health service is charged separately, and the clinician will explain any further costs before anything is arranged.
Does the £20 fee include antimalarial tablets?
No. The £20 fee is for the consultation only. If antimalarial tablets are recommended, the medication and any prescription or supply costs are separate and depend on the option that is suitable for you, how long you are travelling for and the supply arrangements available. You will be told the cost before you decide.
Can I get malaria tablets on the NHS?
Antimalarial tablets for travel are not generally available on NHS prescription in England, so travellers usually pay privately. Some antimalarials can be bought from a pharmacy after a consultation with a pharmacist, while others need a prescription. In every case, the right choice depends on your destination and medical history.
Are all antimalarial tablets the same?
No. There are several types of antimalarial tablet. They differ in which destinations they are suitable for, whether they are taken daily or weekly, how long before travel they need to be started, how long they must be continued after you return, possible side effects and which people they are suitable for. That is why a personalised assessment matters.
Do I keep taking malaria tablets after I come home?
Usually, yes. Depending on the type of antimalarial, you normally need to continue taking it for between one and four weeks after leaving the malaria-risk area. Stopping early is a common reason antimalarials fail. The clinician will explain exactly how long your course needs to last.
Is there a malaria vaccine for travellers?
There is currently no malaria vaccine licensed for UK travellers. The malaria vaccines in use are part of programmes for young children living in parts of Africa where malaria is common. For travellers, prevention relies on knowing the risk, avoiding mosquito bites, taking antimalarials where recommended and seeking prompt medical help if you become unwell.
I grew up in a malaria-risk country. Do I still need protection?
Yes. Any partial immunity you had wanes quickly once you live away from a malaria-risk area, so people visiting friends and relatives abroad are at real risk and account for a large share of malaria cases diagnosed in the UK. You need the same advice and protection as any other traveller.
Can I take malaria tablets if I am pregnant or have a medical condition?
Pregnancy, breastfeeding, some medical conditions and some regular medicines can affect which antimalarials are suitable, and pregnant women are generally advised to avoid travel to malaria-risk areas where possible. Tell the clinician about your health, any medicines you take and any previous reactions, so the advice is safe for you. In some situations you may be referred for specialist advice.
What should I do if I feel unwell after returning home?
If you develop a fever, chills, sweats, headache, muscle aches or flu-like symptoms during your trip or after returning from a malaria-risk area, seek urgent medical assessment the same day and tell the clinician where you have travelled. Malaria symptoms usually appear within weeks but can occur up to a year after travel, even if you took antimalarial tablets. In an emergency call 999, or contact NHS 111 for urgent advice.
Is insect repellent really that important if I am taking tablets?
Yes. No antimalarial is 100% effective, so avoiding mosquito bites is just as important as taking tablets. Malaria mosquitoes mainly bite between dusk and dawn. Use an effective repellent such as one containing 50% DEET, cover up in the evenings and sleep under an insecticide-treated mosquito net unless your room is properly screened or air-conditioned.
Can I also discuss travel vaccinations at the same appointment?
The 15-minute consultation focuses on malaria prevention. If you also need travel vaccinations, mention this when you book or at the start of your appointment, and the team will advise whether a separate or longer travel clinic appointment is needed.
Malaria advice near Wigan and Chorley
Ready Health is at 22 High Street, Standish, Wigan WN6 0HL, a short drive from Wigan town centre and Chorley. Travellers visit us from across the area, including Standish, Wigan, Chorley, Shevington, Appley Bridge, Parbold, Coppull, Adlington, Orrell, Aspull, Haigh, Blackrod, Horwich, Westhoughton, Hindley, Ince-in-Makerfield, Skelmersdale, Up Holland, Eccleston and Leyland.
Need vaccinations too? See our travel clinic for other travel health services.
Travel with the right protection
Get personal malaria prevention advice from an NHS-trained clinician for £20.
Book Your Travel Health ConsultationThis page is general information and does not replace an individual assessment. Always follow the advice given at your consultation.