8 PROVEN WAYS TO PREVENT MALARIA With no 100% effective vaccine yet, prevention remains your best defense. 1. Sleep under an insecticide-treated net (ITN) Anopheles mosquitoes bite only at night. Sleeping under an ITN reduces your risk of being bitten by 70%. Make sure your net is properly tucked in, and free of holes. 2. Use mosquito repellents Apply mosquito repellent creams containing DEET, picaridin, or Lemon eucalyptus oil on exposed skin. You can also use mosquito coils or sprays indoors, especially in the evenings. 3. Eliminate mosquito breeding sites Mosquitoes lay eggs in stagnant water. To reduce their population: - Empty containers hat collect water eg buckets and flowerpots - Clear blocked gutters - Cover water storage containers properly 4. Indoor residual spraying Spraying insecticides inside the house has been shown to reduce transmission of malaria significantly. 5. Take preventive medicines (Chemoprophylaxis) If traveling to malaria prone areas, take anti malarial drugs. You can start before you travel, and continue as prescribed.