Malaria-endemic regions

Canadian Blood Services uses the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) malaria information to determine which regions have occurrences of malaria that are high enough to require medications to prevent infection. We have simplified this information using tables and maps.  

The tables below are organized by country and geographical areas and highlight where the chances of acquiring malaria may be greatest.  

For Mexico, Central America, South America and the Caribbean, only travel spots that you have spent more than 24 hours in would trigger a waiting period for you to donate blood or platelets. For example, if you are on a Caribbean cruise and it stops for a day trip (less than 24 hours) in Haiti, where the chances of acquiring malaria are high, you do not have to wait before donating.    

We know that the criteria for malaria eligibility disproportionately affects people who have travelled to or immigrated from regions where malaria is endemic. We truly empathize that being turned away from donating blood may leave donors with a sense of frustration and disappointment.   

As our testing platforms and research continues to advance and mature, we remain committed to continuously reviewing our eligibility criteria and removing existing barriers to donation when blood safety is assured. Our efforts are focused on building a more inclusive donation process, while ensuring the safety and sufficiency of the blood supply. 

If you have any questions about malaria eligibility criteria or are wondering if you can donate, please call us at 1 888 2 DONATE (1-888-236-6283). 

You can also learn more by visiting our Malaria: information for blood and plasma donors page

List of countries by name

Risk levels and their meanings

For the purpose of blood or platelet donation, malaria risk refers to geographical areas where medication to prevent malaria is recommended for travellers.

No risk
There is no malaria risk in the country or area
All risk
Whole country or area is a malaria risk
Partial risk
Some parts of the country are a malaria risk
Country Malaria risk level Notes
Afghanistan All risk  
Albania No risk  
Algeria No risk  
American Samoa No risk  
Andorra No risk  
Angola All risk  
Anguilla (United Kingdom) No risk  
Antarctica No risk  
Antigua and Barbuda No risk  
Argentina No risk  
Armenia No risk  
Aruba No risk  
Australia No risk  
Austria No risk  
Azerbaijan No risk  
Azores (Portugal) No risk  
Bahamas No risk  
Bahrain No risk  
Bangladesh Partial risk All risk, except no risk in the district and city of Dhaka
Barbados No risk  
Belarus No risk  
Belgium No risk  
Belize No risk  
Benin All risk  
Bermuda No risk  
Bhutan No risk  
Bolivia Partial risk Risk areas
Bonaire No risk  
Bosnia and Herzegovina No risk  
Botswana Partial risk Risk areas
Brazil Partial risk Risk areas
British Indian Ocean Territory (includes Diego Garcia) No risk  
British Virgin Islands (includes Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Anegada, Jost Van Dyke and other small islands) No risk  
Brunei No risk  
Bulgaria No risk  
Burkina Faso All risk  
Burma (Myanmar) All risk  
Burundi All risk  
Cambodia Partial risk All risk except no risk in city of Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and the temple complex at Angkor Wat
Cameroon All risk  
Canada No risk  
Canary Islands (Spain) No risk  
Cape Verde No risk  
Cayman Islands (United Kingdom) No risk  
Central African Republic All risk  
Chad All risk  
Chile No risk  
China No risk  
Christmas Island (Australia) No risk  
Cocos (Keeling) Islands (Australia) No risk  
Colombia Partial risk All risk except no risk in cities of Bogotá, Cartagena and Medellin
Comoros All risk  
Congo, Republic of the (Congo-Brazzaville) All risk  
Cook Islands (New Zealand) No risk  
Costa Rica Partial risk Risk areas
Côte d'Ivoire All risk  
Croatia No risk  
Cuba No risk  
Curacao No risk  
Cyprus No risk  
Czech Republic No risk  
Democratic Republic of the Congo (Congo - Kinshasa, formerly Zaire) All risk  
Denmark No risk  
Djibouti All risk  
Dominica No risk  
Dominican Republic Partial risk Risk areas
East Timor (Timor-L'este) No risk  
Easter Island (Chile) No risk  
Ecuador Partial risk Risk areas
Egypt No risk  
El Salvador No risk  
England (United Kingdom) No risk  
Equatorial Guinea All risk  
Eritrea Partial risk All risk except no risk in city of Asmara
Estonia No risk  
Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) All risk  
Ethiopia Partial risk All risk except no risk in city of Addis Ababa
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) No risk  
Faroe Islands (Denmark) No risk  
Fiji No risk  
Finland No risk  
France No risk  
French Guiana Partial risk All risk except no risk in Cayenne City
French Polynesia, including island groups of Society Islands (Tahiti, Moorea, Bora- Bora), Marquesas Islands (Hiva Oa, Ua Huka) and Austral Islands (Tubuai and Rurutu) No risk  
Gabon All risk  
Gambia, The All risk  
Georgia No risk  
Germany No risk  
Ghana All risk  
Gibraltar (United Kingdom) No risk  
Greece No risk  
Greenland (Denmark) No risk  
Grenada No risk  
Guadeloupe, including Saint Barthelemy and Saint Martin (France) No risk  
Guam (United States) No risk  
Guatemala Partial risk Risk areas
Guinea All risk  
Guinea-Bissau All risk  
Guyana Partial risk All risk except no risk in the cities of Georgetown and Amsterdam
Haiti All risk  
Holland (Netherlands) No risk  
Honduras Partial risk All risk except no risk in the cities of Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula. Risk areas include tourist destinations of Roatán and other Bay Islands.
Hong Kong (China) No risk  
Hungary No risk  
Iceland No risk  
India All risk  
Indonesia Partial risk Risk areas
Iran No risk  
Iraq No risk  
Ireland (Republic of Ireland) No risk  
Israel No risk  
Italy, including Vatican City No risk  
Ivory Coast All risk  
Jamaica No risk  
Japan No risk  
Jordan No risk  
Kazakhstan No risk  
Kenya All risk  
Kiribati (formerly Gilbert Islands), including Tarawa, Tabuaeran (Fanning Island) and Banaba (Ocean Island) No risk  
Kosovo No risk  
Kuwait No risk  
Kyrgyzstan No risk  
Laos Partial risk All risk, except no risk in the city of Vientiane
Latvia No risk  
Lebanon No risk  
Lesotho No risk  
Liberia All risk  
Libya No risk  
Liechtenstein No risk  
Lithuania No risk  
Luxembourg No risk  
Macau (China) No risk  
Macedonia No risk  
Madagascar Partial risk All risk, except no risk in the city of Antananarivo
Madeira Islands (Portugal) No risk  
Malawi All risk  
Malaysia Partial risk Risk areas
Maldives No risk  
Mali All risk  
Malta No risk  
Marshall Islands No risk  
Martinique (France) No risk  
Mauritania Partial risk All risk, except no risk in the regions of Dakhlet-Nouadhibou and Tiris-Zemour
Mauritius No risk  
Mayotte (France) No risk  
Mexico Partial risk Risk areas
Micronesia, Federated States of; includes Yap Islands, Chuuk, Pohnpei, Kosrae No risk  
Moldova No risk  
Monaco No risk  
Mongolia No risk  
Montenegro No risk  
Montserrat (United Kingdom) No risk  
Morocco No risk  
Mozambique All risk  
Myanmar (Burma) All risk  
Namibia Partial risk Risk areas
Nauru No risk  
Nepal Partial risk All risk except no risk in Kathmandu
Netherlands (Holland) No risk  
Netherlands Antilles (Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, St. Eustasius and St. Maarten) No risk  
New Caledonia (France) No risk  
New Zealand No risk  
Nicaragua Partial risk Risk areas
Niger All risk  
Nigeria All risk  
Niue (New Zealand) No risk  
Norfolk Island (Australia) No risk  
North Korea All risk  
Northern Ireland (United Kingdom) No risk  
Northern Mariana Islands (United States), includes Saipan, Tinian and Rota Island No risk  
Norway No risk  
Oman No risk  
Pakistan All risk  
Palau No risk  
Palestine (West Bank) No risk  
Panama Partial risk Risk areas
Papua New Guinea All risk  
Paraguay No risk  
Peru Partial risk Risk areas
Philippines Partial risk Risk areas
Pitcairn Islands (United Kingdom) No risk  
Poland No risk  
Portugal No risk  
Puerto Rico (United States) No risk  
Qatar No risk  
Réunion (France) No risk  
Romania No risk  
Russia No risk  
Rwanda All risk  
Saba No risk  
Saint Barthelemy (St. Bart's) No risk  
Saint Eustasius No risk  
Saint Helena (United Kingdom) No risk  
Saint Kitts (Saint Christopher) and Nevis No risk  
Saint Lucia No risk  
Saint Martin No risk  
Saint Pierre and Miquelon (France) No risk  
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines No risk  
Samoa (formerly Western Samoa) No risk  
San Marino No risk  
São Tomé and Principe All risk  
Saudi Arabia Partial risk Risk in the emirates of Asir and Jazan (also spelled Jizan) only.
Scotland (United Kingdom) No risk  
Senegal All risk  
Serbia No risk  
Seychelles No risk  
Sierra Leone All risk  
Singapore No risk  
Sint Maarten No risk  
Slovakia No risk  
Slovenia No risk  
Solomon Islands All risk  
Somalia All risk  
South Africa Partial risk Risk areas
South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands No risk  
South Korea Partial risk Risk areas
South Sudan (Republic of) All risk  
Spain No risk  
Sri Lanka No risk  
Sudan All risk  
Suriname Partial risk Risk areas
Swaziland (now called Eswatini) All risk  
Sweden No risk  
Switzerland No risk  
Syria No risk  
Taiwan No risk  
Tajikistan No risk  
Tanzania All risk  
Thailand Partial risk Risk areas
Tibet (China) No risk  
Timor-Leste (East Timor) No risk  
Togo All risk  
Tokelau (New Zealand) No risk  
Tonga No risk  
Trinidad and Tobago No risk  
Tunisia No risk  
Turkey No risk  
Turkmenistan No risk  
Turks and Caicos Islands (United Kingdom) No risk  
Tuvalu No risk  
Uganda All risk  
Ukraine No risk  
United Arab Emirates No risk  
United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Isle of Man, Channel Islands) No risk  
United States No risk  
Uruguay No risk  
U.S. Virgin Islands (includes St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix and other small islands) No risk  
Uzbekistan No risk  
Vanuatu All risk  
Venezuela All risk  
Vietnam Partial risk

Risk in rural areas except no risk in the Mekong and Red River Deltas. No risk in urban areas. (Common no risk destinations are cities of Da Nang, Haiphong, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), Nha Trang and Qui Nhon.)

Virgin Islands (British), including Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Anegada, Jost Van Dyke and other small islands No risk  
Virgin Islands (United States), including St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix and other small islands No risk  
Wake Island (United States) No risk  
Wallis and Futuna Islands (France) No risk  
West Bank (includes Palestinian Territories) No risk  
Western Sahara No risk  
Yemen Partial risk All risk except no risk in Sana'a
Zambia All risk  
Zimbabwe All risk