Question 1

Do I really need malaria pills for the Kokoda Track?

Accepted Answer

Yes. CDC recommends that all travelers to Papua New Guinea take prescription medicine to prevent malaria, and the Kokoda Track is squarely in the risk zone. Papua New Guinea has year-round transmission of every major human malaria parasite and the highest P. vivax burden of any country in the world, and the chloroquine-resistant parasites there mean older, cheaper pills are not reliable. Atovaquone-proguanil is one of the options CDC recommends for chloroquine-resistant areas, with 96 to 100 percent protective efficacy against P. falciparum. You start it 1 to 2 days before you arrive and continue for 7 days after you leave.

Question 2

Why atovaquone-proguanil instead of doxycycline or mefloquine?

Accepted Answer

All three work against the chloroquine-resistant malaria in Papua New Guinea, so it comes down to fit. Atovaquone-proguanil (Malarone) is taken daily and only needs to continue for 7 days after you leave, the shortest post-trip course of the options, which is why a lot of trekkers prefer it. Doxycycline is less expensive but has to continue for 4 weeks after travel and can cause sun sensitivity. Mefloquine is weekly but is not right for everyone. A provider reviews your history and helps you pick. Wandr offers atovaquone-proguanil as the default for this trip.

Question 3

What is the ibuprofen and antifungal cream for?

Accepted Answer

The trail itself. Kokoda is roughly 96 kilometres with more than 6,000 metres of cumulative climbing and long, steep descents that are hard on knees, hips, and ankles, so Rx-strength ibuprofen is in the pack for the inflammation and pain that builds over eight to twelve days of walking. The antifungal cream, clotrimazole with betamethasone (Lotrisone), is for skin. The track sits at 80 to 95 percent humidity with river crossings and rain, and feet, groin, and skin folds rarely dry out, which is exactly how fungal infections like athlete's foot and jock itch take hold. The cream clears the infection and calms the itch and inflammation.

Question 4

What about traveler's diarrhea and dengue in Papua New Guinea?

Accepted Answer

Both are worth planning for, separately from this kit. Food and water hygiene is hard to maintain on a remote multi-day trek, and traveler's diarrhea is common across Papua New Guinea, so talk to a provider about adding an antibiotic if your stomach is a concern. Dengue is also present in Papua New Guinea and has no preventive pill, so insect-bite prevention with a DEET or picaridin repellent, long sleeves, and a treated mosquito net is the baseline, and it doubles as your first line against malaria-carrying mosquitoes. This pack is built around the three risks that define a Kokoda trek: malaria, the physical toll of the trail, and skin in the wet. Ask a provider if you want the TD antibiotic added.

Question 5

How fast can I actually get it?

Accepted Answer

Orders are reviewed by a US-licensed provider and the Rx is sent electronically to your pharmacy within 24 hours. Most travelers can pick it up the same day. Start malaria pills a few days before you fly, so order with a little lead time.

Question 6

What if the provider decides the meds aren't right for me?

Accepted Answer

If a provider can't safely prescribe (rare, usually due to a drug interaction or a specific contraindication), the visit fee is refunded in full. You only pay if the Rx is sent.

Papua New Guinea carries the world's heaviest P. vivax malaria burden. The Kokoda Track runs right through it.

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Kokoda Track medication FAQ

Train for the trail. Let us handle the mosquitoes.