Malarial Measures !?

Hi - this might sound like a silly question but I spend upwards of £180 per trip to Africa just to buy two weeks cover of Malarone, or a similar anti-malarial drug. What do you do when you live there? Is there an injection? Are they a tenth of the price out there or do you either pay up and shut up or go without and take the risk?

If its an annual injection, I might just start now as every holiday we go on seems to be a malarial region....

Thanks in advance.

That sounds kind of high for Malarone...buy it here once you arrive. Do NOT buy it at the coast, as it is VERY expensive there. Especially if you are Mzungu.

It is also expensive in Karen. Try to get over to Westlands or to Downtown. We got it for KES5100 which was a three week supply.

I have never gotten an injection...I personally do not take Malarone. I find it cheaper, easier, and more comforting to bathe in DEET 2-3 times a day. I may glow in the dark but no itching or biting...

TexanMzungu

I never took any Malaria stuff when I was living out there.

Touch wood, haven't had malaria yet!

Nairobi is not a malarial endemic area, so as far as I know, nothing is needed. If you travel elsewhere, though, you'll need something. I lived in Benin for two years and ended up taking Doxycyclin (an antibiotic) every day instead of the other animalarials. I had a hard time with the nasty side-effects of mefloquin (like malarone), and the Doxy had no side effects other than the long-term antibiotic thing. I ate lots of yogurt! Doxy only lasts 24 hours, so you need to take it every day. At the same time, it is something you can take just when you need it (like for traveling). I'm NOT a doctor, so do your own research, but that was my experience.

Malaria is pretty awful and once you get it, it never really goes away. A friend of mine had malaria 30 years ago and he still gets periodic flare-ups. Not cool.