QUESTION

How long does it take to recover from malaria?

ANSWER

A number of different factors affect recovery time from malaria. These include the type of malaria, how quickly treatment is administered and the immune status of the patient. For example, children and pregnant women tend to get much more severe cases of malaria, due to their reduced natural immunity. 

The type of malaria will impact on the severity and length of the infection as well—P. falciparum is the most severe kind, and can result quickly in death if not treated promptly, whereas less rapidly progressing forms of malaria, such as P. malariae, may persist for longer but not cause severe disease. For most cases of uncomplicated malaria, once the appropriate form of treatment is started, the patient will start to recover within a couple of days.