London P&I Club advises preventative measures in latest StopLoss Bulletin
In the latest issue of its StopLoss Bulletin , theLondon P&I Club draws the attention to malaria, a life-threatening disease to which seafarers are particularly at risk due to the verynature of their employment. Malaria is prevalentin tropical and sub-tropical zones around theworld, with the majority of cases occurring insub-saharan Africa.
Image Credit: World Health Organization (please click image to enlarge)
The first symptoms – fever, headache, chillsand vomiting – may be mild and difficult to recognise as malaria. If not treated promptly, the disease can progress to severe illnessoften leading to death
The London P&I Club continues tohandle a significant number of claims relating to serious illnessand death of seafarers who have contracted malaria, with onerecent case resulting in a costs exposure of about US$300,000.
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The WHO recommends the use of oral anti-malarial medication (chemoprophylaxis), whichis usually to be taken in advance of entering highrisk areas. Various anti-malaria drugs areavailable, the choice of which will depend upona number of factors, including the geographiclocation, locally drug resistant strains of malariaand expected period of exposure. Ships thatcould potentially enter malarial endemic areasmust carry onboard an adequate stock ofanti-malaria medication for prophylaxis of thecrew and treatment where necessary. It isrecommended that medical advice be soughtwhen deciding the type of drug, quantity,combination of medication, dosage and timeframe (prior to arrival, during stay and followingdeparture from the malarial region). Riskawareness and forward planning by shipmanagers and crew is therefore of vitalimportance to ensure timely implementation ofprecautions. A log of all anti-malarial drugs administered toand taken by individual crew members shouldbe maintained. Other practical preventative measures includeencouraging crew members to dress so as torestrict exposure of bare skin, application ofinsect repellents and keeping accommodationclosed down, particularly between dusk anddawn when mosquitoes are most active. |
Find more information about malaria from the sources below:
London P&I Club –StopLoss Bulletin
WHO – http://www.who.int/topics/malaria/en/
US Center for Disease Control and Prevention – http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/
