Well- awareness is the basic. Prevention stars after that. We need to understand (and especially in low-income countries) awareness is one of the major factors. People do not know what can cause them malaria (or any other thing like dengue etc), or if they know its more academic.
Yes, we have government and nongovernment awareness programs, but I think its still not enough. I think public-private partnership, govt-public partnership, and accountability programs are the must. Decentralization of responsibilities is also important in public service and healthcare departments. We see Delhi is a classic example of failure in poor management (and it includes all - public, city and govt). They spend a lot of money on dengue awareness every year, but it still repeats. 

Symptoms

• Impaired consciousness
• Deep breathing and respiratory distress
• Clinical jaundice and evidence of vital organ dysfunction
• Shaking chills that can range from moderate to severe
• High fever
• Profuse sweating
• Headache
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal pain
• Diarrhea
• Anemia
• Muscle pain
• Convulsions
• Coma
• Bloody stools

Awareness and cleaning are two major cause.
Few preventions are
Awareness of risk – find out whether you're at risk of getting malaria. Aware of the places you are traveling. Avoid dirty or mud-filled areas.
Bite prevention – avoid mosquito bites by using insect repellent, covering your arms and legs, and using a mosquito net. Use mosquito coils while u sleep.
Diagnosis – seek immediate medical advice if you have malaria symptoms, including up to a year after you return from travelling.