Abstract: In East Africa, where malaria is endemic, P. falciparum incidence has been steadily rising over the past ten years. Additionally, Africa has the greatest rate of malaria infections among tourists. As a result, severe malaria is an acute illness brought on by P. falciparum, but increasingly also by P. vivax. It is characterised by considerable organ failure and/or high parasitemia levels (>10%) in blood smears.