Travel Health |
Published on: 13 January 2012 |
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Malaria travel health leaflet available in four south Asian languages
The HPA Health Protection Services' travel and migrant health section has published translated versions of the HPA patient information leaflet Malaria: Information for people travelling overseas [1]. The leaflet has been translated into four relevant South Asian languages in accordance with Government Central Office of Information recommendations [2].
Eleven per cent of malaria cases reported in the UK between 2005 and 2010 were born in the Indian subcontinent; other major world regions of birth were Africa (62%) and Europe (23%) [3]. Travellers visiting friends and relatives in their country of origin are the main risk group for cases of malaria reported in the UK; 61% of cases reported in the UK in 2010 were visiting friends and relatives in their country of origin [3] Travellers visiting friends and relatives have a different risk profile to other types of travellers; they tend to travel for longer and live as part of the local community while abroad which can increase their likelihood of exposure to infectious disease risks. They may underestimate the risks to their health because the destination is familiar to them or their family.
These translated leaflets will enable non-English speaking travellers from the UK to receive advice about protecting themselves against malaria when travelling abroad. The leaflets cover four key areas: awareness of risk, bite prevention, chemoprophylaxis and seeking early diagnosis.
The translated leaflets are available to download in Bengali, Gujarati, Punjabi and Urdu, as well as English, from the HPA website [1]. Further information about malaria in travellers visiting friends and relatives, and migrants to the UK is also available from the Migrant Health Guide [4].
References
1. HPA website: Home › Publications › Infectious diseases › Travel health › Malaria: Information for people travelling overseas.
2. Central Office of Information (2003). Communicating to ethnic minority communities: recommended languages for translation.
3. Migrant health: infectious diseases in non-UK born populations in the United Kingdom. An update to the baseline report – 2011 (HPA, 2011). Downloadable form the HPA website at: Home › Publications › Infectious diseases ›Travel health › Migrant Health: Infectious diseases in non-UK born populations in the UK.
4. The HPA Migrant Health Guide: www.hpa.org.uk/migranthealthguide.