Malaria prevention tablets, matched to your destination

What is malaria?

Malaria is an infection caused by a parasite transmitted through the bite of an infected female Anopheles mosquito. It is present in many tropical and subtropical regions across sub-Saharan Africa, South and South-East Asia, Central and South America, and parts of the Middle East and Pacific. The severity of the risk varies significantly by country, region within a country, and even season of travel.

Symptoms typically appear between one and three weeks after infection, though in some cases they can emerge months later. Early signs include fever, chills, sweating, headache and muscle aches — similar to flu. Without prompt treatment, malaria caused by certain parasite strains can become life-threatening very quickly. This is why prevention, not just treatment, matters so much.

How is malaria prevented?

Effective malaria prevention combines bite avoidance and antimalarial tablets. Bite avoidance — using insect repellent containing DEET, covering arms and legs at dusk, sleeping under an impregnated mosquito net — reduces your exposure to infected bites. Antimalarial tablets reduce your risk of the infection developing even if a bite occurs.

No antimalarial is 100% effective, which is why both approaches work best together. The type of antimalarial tablet recommended depends on the specific malaria parasite strains present at your destination, the resistance patterns in that region, the length of your trip, and your personal health history. What works well for travel in East Africa may not be the recommended choice for South-East Asia.

How does the prescription process work?

Because the correct antimalarial varies by destination, the consultation asks you where you are going, your travel dates and some questions about your health. A UK prescriber then recommends the most suitable option for your specific itinerary. For straightforward destinations, this is a quick process. For complex trips — multiple countries, remote areas, high-resistance regions or travellers with underlying health conditions — we may recommend you also consult a specialist travel clinic for a face-to-face assessment.

We do not list specific antimalarials on this page. Which tablet suits your destination and health, and for how long you need to take it, is a clinical decision that the prescriber confirms inside the consultation once they have reviewed your full travel details.

Treating malaria risk with NewGen

NewGen Pharmacy is a GPhC-registered community pharmacy at 245 High Street, Stratford. Our online travel clinic connects you to UK prescribers who can assess your itinerary and health, and supply the appropriate antimalarial course — dispensed and delivered discreetly, or available to collect from our Stratford branch. We can usually have your prescription ready in time if you plan ahead, but please allow enough lead time: most antimalarials need to be started one to two days before travel, and some require a week's head start.

You may also want to see our jet lag and motion sickness pages if those are concerns for your trip.

When to see a travel clinic instead

An online malaria consultation is well suited to straightforward travel to well-documented destinations in otherwise healthy adults. You should see a specialist travel clinic in person if your itinerary involves multiple high-risk countries, very remote areas with limited medical access, last-minute travel with complex health needs, or if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or travelling with young children. If we are unable to safely advise you online, we will say so clearly and signpost you to the appropriate service. You can also check the NHS Fitfortravel website or call NHS 111 for travel health guidance.