Malaria

I am not a doctor and this is just my opinion.  I do not take malaria pills.  I obtained a prescription and brought malarone with me, supposedly the best medication available on the market, but it made me feel dull-headed and generally not good.   It is also ridiculously expensive.  No one that I know takes US prescribed malaria medication here.  Several friends have had malaria.  You know when you have it because you are extremely tired, mostly nauseous, and switch between fever and chills for several days. It is equivalent to a bad case of the flu.

Here in central Africa, they sell Coartem at the pharmacy which does a great deal to alleve the symptoms.  It is made by Novartis and although it may be a prescription medication elsewhere, it is purchased over the counter here.

Some of my friends from the environmental NGO's have had it several times after being in the bush.  Everyone says it is no big deal and they would rather deal with it if/when they get it, rather than take the US prescriptions, which may be preventative, but do not provide absolute protection.  If you get malaria while taking malarone, the recommended response is to take a higher dosage after you get it.  That's so "American".