YET SOME OIL WORKERS FAIL TO TAKE THE RIGHT PRECAUTIONS

With Africa assuming even greater importance to the oil & gas industry, including new ventures in areas such as Uganda and offshore Ghana, malaria is a significant hazard for those working there.

It’s a worrying fact that some oil workers who travel and work abroad just don’t take malaria seriously enough. If you are offered protection against malaria, such as anti-malarial tablets, it is in your own interest to listen to the guidance given by travel-health specialists and take the tablets as advised.

How many times do we hear those old chestnuts such as, “Anti-malarial tablets will make you feel worse than actually catching malaria”, or “I don’t take anti-malarial tablets because they make my head spin”.

For workers in high-risk areas, the risk of acquiring malaria and becoming seriously ill, or even dying, is significantly greater than the risk of experiencing a serious side-effect from anti-malarial tablets. The vast majority of people taking modern anti-malarial tablets experience either no side-effects or just mild and temporary ones.

Other ridiculous myths about malaria are still given credence and should be firmly dismissed. For example, the idea that malaria is not a serious disease if you are young and healthy is simply not true. Malaria is a life-threatening infectious disease that seriously affects all those who acquire it, regardless of their age or fitness.

Some people who were raised in parts of the world where malaria is common falsely think they have lifelong immunity. Although they might have a partial immunity, it is short-lived once they leave and they will need to take advantage of anti-malarial protection when revisiting a part of the world where malaria is common.

Another fallacy is that drinking gin and tonic will give you protection against the malarial parasite. Gin, or any other alcoholic drink, does not provide any protection at all and should never be considered as an alternative to anti-malarial tablets. The same applies to relying on the use of homeopathic or herbal medicines. It has even been said that taking vitamin B will alter the composition of your sweat, making you unattractive to mosquitoes – yet another myth that should be ignored.

So, in short, don’t waste your time considering any of these myths and misconceptions. Instead, listen to your travel-health specialist, who can give you all the information you need to keep safe and avoid this potentially fatal infection.

The best protection of all is to avoid mosquito bites.

Mosquitoes associated with malaria mostly bite in the evening, after sunset, so make sure you are sufficiently covered up. Don’t sit out in the evening wearing a short-sleeved shirt or shorts, and remember that mosquitoes can bite through thin clothing, so use a repellent spray on your clothes as well as your skin. When necessary, make sure you use a suitably treated mosquito net, and make use of indoor residual spraying of insecticides.
Don’t assume that because you will be working offshore you will not be at risk. You may have to travel through a malarial area to reach your offshore destination.

Aberdeen is famously connected to the oil industry and sends workers to areas in Africa where malaria is prevalent. Aberdeen’s oil workers can take advantage of anti-malaria protection and, if infected, have access to excellent medical care.

However, the less fortunate are not forgotten and several large oil companies are members of the Corporate Alliance on Malaria in Africa (CAMA), which is actively engaged in helping to improve the impact of malaria control efforts in malarial areas of Africa.

As well as working directly with CAMA, companies have also made large donations to continue the fight against malaria in countries where the disease causes terrible harm to the local populations.

World Malaria Day takes place on April 25 and this year’s focus will be on malaria as a global health problem. Whether as an individual or part of a charity or company, you can help take action against malaria.

For more information, see www.rbm.who.int/worldmalariaday/ – which will tell you more about the Roll Back Malaria group, which includes The World Health Organisation.

By Pauline Ganley   
Lead Travel Health Nurse
Abermed Limited