The World Health Organization (WHO) has certified Egypt as malaria-free, marking a significant public health milestone for a country with over 100 million people.
The achievement follows a nearly 100-year effort by the Egyptian government and people to end a disease that has been present in the country since ancient times, the WHO said in a statement on Sunday.
Egypt is the third country to be awarded a malaria-free certification in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region following the United Arab Emirates and Morocco, and the first since 2010.
In February 2024, Cabo Verde became the third African country after Mauritius (in 1973) and Algeria (in 2019) to be certified malaria-free by WHO.
Globally, a total of 44 countries and one territory have reached this milestone.
“Malaria is as old as Egyptian civilization itself, but the disease that plagued pharaohs now belongs to its history and not its future,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.
He added, “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.”
According to WHO, Certification of malaria elimination is granted by the global health body when a country has proven, beyond reasonable doubt, that the chain of indigenous malaria transmission by Anopheles mosquitoes has been interrupted nationwide for at least the previous three consecutive years.
A country must also demonstrate the capacity to prevent the re-establishment of transmission.
