The World Health Organisation marks a significant milestone as it declared Egypt as malaria-free on 20th October 2024. This comes after a 100-year effort by the government of Egypt and the people to collectively end diseases that has been present since ancient times. According to WHO, Egypt is the third official country to have received the malaria-free certification after United Arab Emirates and Morocco.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General says, “Malaria is as old as Egyptian civilization itself, but the disease that plagued pharaohs now belongs to its history and not its future. This certification of Egypt as malaria-free is truly historic, and a testament to the commitment of the people and government of Egypt to rid themselves of this ancient scourge. I congratulate Egypt on this achievement, which is an inspiration to other countries in the region, and shows what’s possible with the right resources and the right tools.”
WHO grants the ‘malaria-free’ certification when a country has proven, beyond reasonable doubt, that for at least three consecutive years, the nation has not had any incidences of the indigenous malaria transmission by Anopheles mosquitoes. A country must also demonstrate the capacity to prevent the re-establishment of transmission.