Nearly 3,000 UK travellers returned home sick with preventable illnesses, new data reveals

New FOI data from the UKHSA (United Kingdom Health Security Agency) reveals the scale of preventable illness among returning UK travellers, from malaria to typhoid to dengue. The findings land as UK travellers book winter sun breaks and Christmas trips to see family abroad, and with some vaccines needing weeks to take effect, now is the time to check how well-prepared you really are before you fly.

For most travellers, holiday prep goes little further than checking your passport, packing within your baggage limit and timing the airport run. But a new Freedom of Information request submitted by specialist travel insurance provider Staysure to the UKHSA has produced data which reveals the full extent of just how often the all-important medical preparation for the country being visited gets overlooked.

Vaccinations, antimalarial tablets and other pre-travel health advice are often left until the last minute, or skipped altogether, leaving UK travellers exposed to serious illnesses that are entirely avoidable.

Here’s what the UKHSA’s data shows, by illness:

New FOI data from the UKHSA (United Kingdom Health Security Agency) reveals the scale of preventable illness among returning UK travellers, from malaria to typhoid to dengue. The findings land as UK travellers book winter sun breaks and Christmas trips to see family abroad, and with some vaccines needing weeks to take effect, now is the time to check how well-prepared you really are before you fly.

For most travellers, holiday prep goes little further than checking your passport, packing within your baggage limit and timing the airport run. But a new Freedom of Information request submitted by specialist travel insurance provider Staysure to the UKHSA has produced data which reveals the full extent of just how often the all-important medical preparation for the country being visited gets overlooked.

Vaccinations, antimalarial tablets and other pre-travel health advice are often left until the last minute, or skipped altogether, leaving UK travellers exposed to serious illnesses that are entirely avoidable.

UKHSA data reveals the scale of travel-related illnesses

* Malaria figures are provisional, pending UKHSA’s final report. Figures combine data obtained via Freedom of Information request with UKHSA’s own published reporting, using the most recent full year available for each illness (all 2025, except malaria data from 2024).

Beyond the headline statistics, the data also uncovered where in the world these illnesses are being caught most. Typhoid and paratyphoid cases are concentrated in India and Pakistan, which between them account for more than 80% of all recorded cases, with 257 and 153 respectively in 2025. Malaria cases are concentrated in West Africa, with Nigeria alone behind 344 cases in 2024, ahead of Sierra Leone (110) and Ghana (79). Proportionally, the malaria figure is the more striking of the two: around 1 in every 730 UK travellers to Nigeria returned home with the illness, a rate roughly 11 times higher than what is seen in travellers returning from India with typhoid.

“These figures point towards not just how prevalent certain diseases are in these tourist destinations, but also the lack of planning by many UK travellers who plan to visit them.” said Dr Asimah Hanif, registered NHS GP and medical expert working with Staysure.

“Some of these illnesses are genuinely nasty and need to be taken seriously. Typhoid, for example, left untreated, can lead to life-threatening complications. It can initially resemble several common illnesses, including gastroenteritis, and symptoms can be nonspecific. A typhoid vaccination and careful food and water hygiene can substantially reduce the risk of contracting it.

Vaccines for diseases such as dengue and chikungunya have also emerged in recent years. So, if you visited a destination in the past without needing a particular vaccination or precaution, don’t assume the same advice will apply next time.

“Before you travel, check the latest health advice for your destination or speak to your GP or a travel-health professional, even if you’ve visited before or know the destination well. Some vaccines and medications need to be administered months in advance so don’t leave it till the last minute as they need time to work and provide the full protection.”

Illnesses that can strike before you’re home

Conditions such as falciparum malaria and meningococcal disease can develop rapidly, while rabies requires urgent medical attention after a potential exposure, even though symptoms may not appear for weeks or months.

“Falciparum malaria is largely preventable with the right precautions,” says Dr Asimah

“If you’re prescribed antimalarial medication, failing to take it as directed – including missing doses or stopping early – can increase your risk of dementia. Not only that, but travel insurers may dispute any medical travel insurance claims made to treat the disease while you’re away if you haven’t taken the required precautions. Your free UK NHS care doesn’t extend overseas meaning any treatment would need to be paid for so I’d advise checking exactly what your policy covers and speak to your GP or a travel clinic before you go, especially if antimalarials or other precautions are recommended for your destination.”

Separately Staysure’s own claims data shows just how expensive medical treatment abroad can be, whatever the cause. Whilst not linked specifically to typhoid or other preventable illnesses, between January and May 2026, the five costliest medical claims from India totalled £263,668.81 averaging £52,733 per medical and repatriation claim. It’s a stark reminder of how quickly medical bills can escalate if you’re hospitalised in the country and need bringing home.

None of this should put anyone off travelling to any of these destinations; with the right vaccinations, medication and a travel insurance policy that covers any pre-existing medical conditions you may have in place, the risks of these illnesses are largely manageable. With the proper preparation hundreds of thousands of people travel to these destinations each year without issue.

About the data

The national total for malaria, along with figures for dengue, chikungunya, rickettsial infections and cholera, are drawn from UKHSA’s own published surveillance data. Country-level detail for malaria, along with all data on typhoid/paratyphoid, was obtained via a Freedom of Information request submitted by Staysure to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). All figures represent the most recent full year available for each illness: 2024 for malaria, 2025 for all others. Malaria figures are provisional, pending UKHSA’s final annual report.

Staysure’s medical and repatriation claims data was sourced looking at the five costliest medical claims from India between January and May 2026.