According to the website malariahotspots.co.uk not enough gap year travellers are taking the necessary precautions to protect themselves from malaria.
Backpackers travelling to areas of the world where malaria is commonplace should take a regular course of tablets to protect themselves from the disease, but health concerns are frequently not a top priority for young people who are often going away from home for the first time. A recent survey carried out by gapyear.com for Malaria Awareness Campaign found that a third of gap year travellers do not take the medication.
Professor Larry Goodyer, speaking on behalf of malariahotpots.co.uk said: "The first thing a young person thinks about when they're going on an exciting long trip like that is 'what clothes shall I have? How do I look?' This is the priority for them - health is often way down the list."
The survey by gapyear.com also revealed that over 40 per cent of gap year travellers journeying to warmer climates fail to use a mosquito net at night.
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