Eid Travel Alert: UAE Doctors Share Malaria Prevention Tips as WHO Approves First Infant Drug
As families prepare for Eid travel, especially to tropical and malaria-prone regions, doctors in the UAE have issued a strong health advisory urging precautionâparticularly for infants and young children. The warning comes alongside a major global breakthrough: the World Health Organization has approved the first-ever malaria treatment specifically designed for newborns and infants.
Health experts recommend that parents avoid mosquito exposure at all costs, especially for babies. Key preventive measures include using mosquito nets, applying child-safe insect repellents, dressing children in long, light-colored clothing, and staying in air-conditioned or well-screened accommodations.
Doctors also advise avoiding travel to malaria-endemic regions with newborns if possible. If travel is necessary, families should consult a doctor in advance for preventive medication and vaccinations.
The newly approved drugâa specialized version of artemether-lumefantrineâis considered a breakthrough because it is tailored for babies weighing as little as 2â5 kg. Previously, infants were treated with medicines meant for older children, increasing the risk of dosing errors and side effects.
Medical experts say this development could significantly improve survival rates among infants, who are among the most vulnerable to malaria. The disease can lead to severe complications such as anemia, brain infection (cerebral malaria), and even death if not treated promptly.
With Eid travel expected to increase international movement, doctors stress that awareness and prevention remain the best defense, even as new treatment options offer hope in the fight against malaria.
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