Malaria prophylaxis in Namibia
 

I'm a bit undecided about Malaria Prophylaxis while in Namibia in December:

we'll be at the Viktoria Falls for 2 days, then flying to Windhuk, driving through Namibia for 3 weeks. The trip will take us to the Etosha Park (3 nights) and afterwards to the western part of the Caprivi strip (Divundu). Afterwards we'll be in South Africa for 3.5 weeks before traveling to Mozambique for 2 weeks.

Now, according to most recommendations, we wouldn't need Malaria Prophylaxis for Namibia, even for the Etosha Park, excluding the Caprivi Strip - where we'll only be for 2 nights. So, if we would follow the recommendation we would have to take Malaria Prophylaxis for 10 days (1+2+7 days) because of the two days. Then 2.5 weeks (while in SA) we should take nothing and then again for 3 weeks due to Mozambique (1+14+7 days).

We've been to many countries such as India etc. and never even thought of Malaria Prophylaxis - but traveling to Africa we're really concerned.

I don't ask for an advise, I already asked my doctor, I'm just asking what you would do, take the Malaria Prophylaxis for 10 days due to the 2 days in the western part of Caprivi Strip, or if you would count on mosquito spray? For Mozambique there's no question, we'll take Malarone.

I cannot quite work out from your post - but will you be taking the malaria medication for Victoria Falls? As that is maybe the highest risk area you will be in?

The whole Caprivi area is a malaria zone, and especially in the summer (November - March) months.

I also assume that you will not be travelling to the Kruger Park while in South Africa - as there has been quite a lot of malaria already reported and the summer hasn't really started yet!

Honestly, at the end of the day, only you can make that call. If someone else says, they would not bother and you take their advice and you get a bad case of malaria - do you blame them? The decision really needs to be yours.

In the densely populated adjacent tribal areas. None in Kruger so far.

Source

Every single person I know who has come down with Malaria in Kruger over the years has a) been a staff member and b) caught the disease in their home villages outside the park, or on vacation in Mozambique. The one exception I can think of is a guide who most likely was infected in the Satara staff village.

Bottom line is that the chance of catching malaria in Kruger as a tourist is miniscule. Anybody who finds that risk worrisome should not go anywhere near a South African road, including those in Kruger. The number of traffic fatalities on Kruger's roads far exceeds the the number of malaria deaths (zero, most years). Or perhaps even avoid the country completely, given the crime rate. Over 40 tourists have been assaulted and robbed over the past few weeks, and that's only the cases that have made the headlines.

Johan

so you'd rather take random people's advice over your doctors? Not so smart.

And how much would you expect a doctor in Ukraine to know about Malaria in Africa?

Most doctors have access to medical advice about travel, etc. Don't know about Ukraine, but I would suspect that they have access to WHO recs, etc.

While they might have access to such research/advice, unless OP is going to some sort of a travel clinic, I wouldn't expect the doctors to actually read up and be very knowledgable about it, instead they will usually err on the side of caution.