Doctors have urged holidaymakers to be aware of outbreaks of diseases across the world after Brits have returned home with malaria and measles and even STDs like gonorrhoea.
As families across the country prepare for an Easter getaway, medical professionals have warned of a rising number of infectious diseases in popular destinations.
A coalition of frontline doctors, academics and health clinicians at the campaign group Healthy World, Secure Britain has warned that these diseases could put pressure on the NHS.
They said rates are increasing in diseases such as TB, malaria, HIV, Mpox, dengue fever, measles and even drug-resistant venereal diseases.
Destinations such as France, Spain, the USA, Egypt and Turkey are seeing a rise in outbreaks.
In the Asia Pacific region, antibiotic-resistant sexually transmitted diseases including gonorrhoea are on the rise.
In the West African island of Cape Verde, a travel warning has been issued after more than 1,500 British holidaymakers fell ill with food poisoning and six died.
Holidaymakers returning from these destinations overseas are thought to be behind rising numbers in London, the West Midlands and the north west.
Dr Arshad Rizvi, a GP based in London with a special interest in global health and infectious diseases, said: ‘Holidaymakers must make sure they have all their vaccinations up to date, check foreign office travel advice and be extra vigilant.
‘Being careful abroad will not only protect their own health, but the health of people in this country and reduce the burden on the NHS. In my clinic I frequently see patients with infections which are picked up on their travels abroad and the problem is growing.’
He said that travellers should make sure their vaccinations are up to date and check foreign office travel advice.
‘Regular handwashing and using antibacterial sprays and wipes is also recommended,’ he added.
‘It is something I always do when travelling with my family.’
The number of Tuberculosis (TB) cases in England rose by 13 per cent to 5,487 in 2024 and remained at a high level in 2025 (5,424).
The number of imported malaria cases has remained high following a peak of more than 2,000 cases in 2023.
Globally, there was an estimated 282 million cases of the disease reported worldwide in 2024.
Cases of imported dengue rose by nearly 300 in 2024, while HIV diagnoses have been steadily increasing since 2020.
The UK has also lost its measles elimination status for the first time since 2021, after 3600 new cases were reported in 2024.
Professor Aubrey Cunnington, Head of Section and Professor of Paediatric Infectious Disease, Honorary Consultant in Paediatric Infectious Diseases at St Mary’s Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare London, said: ‘Protecting health in the UK requires stopping diseases like malaria and TB at source.
‘These diseases don’t respect borders, so rising cases are a predictable consequence of funding to tackle them in other countries being decimated.
‘If politicians retreat from investing in global health security today, it means we will see more devastating diseases tomorrow.’
Four British tourists died between August and November last year after contracting a gastric illness while visiting Cape Verde.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said it identified cases of shigella and salmonella linked to travel to the paradise island.
Shigella is a bacteria which is transmitted when someone comes in contact with faecal matter through sex, soiled nappies, food or water.
It causes bloody and watery diarrhoea, vomiting, fever and stomach pain that can last for weeks – and in some extreme cases it can result in death.
The group has criticised cuts to the foreign aid budget, which they believe has increased the risks of infectious diseases spreading.
The UK Government has pledged to cut Official Development Assistance (ODA) from 0.5 per cent of gross national income to 0.3 per cent by 2027
As part of this pledge, spending on international health has declined from £1.77 billion in 2024 to a projected £527 million in 2026
Professor James Seddon, Consultant in Paediatric Infectious Diseases, St. Mary’s Hospital, said: ‘Cutting global health funding is, in my opinion, a short-sighted mistake.
‘Infectious diseases do not respect borders, and weakening international health programmes ultimately makes the UK less safe and puts greater strain on the NHS.
‘Cutting funding for global health research also makes it less likely that scientists will discover vaccines, diagnostics and treatments for devastating diseases that regularly affect millions of individuals worldwide each year, including UK citizens.’
