Malaria, that old acquaintance of the tropics which ruins nights on the Kenyan coast more than the loud music of beach parties, is back in the international spotlight.

Not because it has disappeared, even though the data are reassuring, but because the parasite is learning to defend itself better against drugs. A sort of “crafty little bugger” that mutates, changes and adapts. And doesn't give up.

For those visiting Kenya, don't panic: the country remains one of the best equipped places on the continent for prevention and treatment, and its urbanisation is already replacing the Anopheles mosquito with pollution. However, understanding what is happening helps you to move more confidently between the savannah, beaches and safaris.

The promising new Swiss drug

Novartis has presented GanLum, a “new generation” treatment tested in 12 African countries, including Kenya.

The result: over 97% recovery rate, higher than the current standard therapy.

It is not yet on the market and will take at least a year to arrive. But work is underway.

The side effects (fever, anaemia, some nausea) are similar to those of existing drugs, but the promise is great: it also works against the mutated parasite, which is gradually becoming resistant to artemisinin.

The single-dose treatment: a dream for doctors and patients

Another study, conducted in Gabon, tested an “all-in-one” pill: four drugs in a single dose.

The result: a 93% cure rate, compared to 90% for the three-day treatment.

Why is this important?

Because many patients stop taking their medication as soon as they feel better. And so the parasite learns to resist. A sort of involuntary survival school.

A single-dose treatment would eliminate the problem.

The risk, however, is that some of the drugs in the combination are already showing signs of resistance. In short: great news, but perhaps only a temporary solution.

And the famous “me, me, me” tourists should remember that these treatments are not carried out for the benefit of the few thousand “deaf and dumb” people who board a charter flight to Watamu and Zanzibar, but for the millions of children, pregnant women and debilitated adults who risk dying every year and still do (fortunately less and less).

Why does all this matter to tourists?

Those who are about to leave for Kenya often ask themselves: “What should I do now, take prophylaxis or not?

Our answer is always the same: prophylaxis is no longer outdated, it is a ghost of a past in which medicine offered no alternative. It was a 'shared misfortune” and now it is a very avoidable “heartache”.

The fact remains that treatment works in Kenya, Coartem is available at low cost in pharmacies and continues to do its job, the kit with the slide to test for malaria when the first fever appears is easy to use and readily available, hospitals (even the most basic ones) know what to do, and malaria is increasingly confined to rural areas. Above all, prevention remains essential: new-generation repellents, mosquito nets over beds, long clothes in the evening, gin and tonic... the usual things that have always worked.

Meanwhile, research continues, while funding, unfortunately, is declining.

As one WHO expert said: “We are going blind while the battle continues in broad daylight”. Not a phrase you want to hear, but all the more reason to travel informed and hope for the new super drug.