Malaria on a military peacekeeping operation: a case study with no cases.
BACKGROUND
Malaria continues to be a disease of importance to travelers and the military is no exception. Individual protection measures based on advice, bite avoidance, chemoprophylaxis, and diagnosis are advocated for protection against the disease. However, the military has an additional strand to malaria protection--the chain of command.


OBJECTIVE
To describe the experience of a British military deployment where the Force Commander took a proactive approach to malaria protection.


RESULTS
In 512 person-weeks of exposure in a theater with high rates of transmission of malaria, with an enduring threat of asymmetric military action and with a proactive approach by the chain of command to the implementation of malaria protection policy, no malaria cases developed.


CONCLUSIONS
The chain of command can have a significant impact on compliance with malaria protection measures, which might reduce incidence of the disease in the deployed population.
Houston
David J K
DJ
16 Medical Squadron, 3 Close Support Medical Regiment, Kandahar Barracks, Tidworth, Wiltshire, SP9 7EA, United Kingdom.
Tuck
Jeremy J H
JJ
D000962:Antimalarials / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018890:Chemoprevention; D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D008887:Military Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000193:education; D016134:Organizational Policy; D011481:Protective Clothing; D011796:Quinacrine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012307:Risk Factors; D014454:Uganda; D006113:United Kingdom; D014857:Warfare
D000962:Antimalarials; D011796:Quinacrine