Egypt has been officially declared malaria-free, with the World Health Organization (WHO) describing the achievement as “truly historic” after almost a century of dedicated efforts to eliminate the disease. BBC Informed.
“Malaria is as old as Egyptian civilization, but the disease that troubled the pharaohs is now part of its history,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Egypt began its fight against mosquito-borne infectious disease nearly 100 years ago. Certification is awarded when a country can prove that it has interrupted malaria transmission for at least three consecutive years. Malaria still kills at least 600,000 people annually, the majority in Africa.
In its statement, WHO commended the “Egyptian government and people” for their successful efforts to “eliminate a disease that has been present in the country since ancient times.”
Egypt is now the third country in WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean region to receive this certification, after the United Arab Emirates and Morocco. Globally, a total of 44 countries and one territory have reached this milestone.
WHO stressed that this certification marks “the beginning of a new phase”, urging Egypt to remain vigilant in maintaining its malaria-free status.
For certification, a country must demonstrate its ability to prevent re-establishment of malaria transmission. WHO highlighted that Egypt’s early efforts to reduce human-mosquito contact began in the 1920s by restricting the cultivation of rice and other agricultural crops near residential areas.
Control efforts to control malaria, caused by a parasite spread by mosquito bites, have seen progress, with vaccines now being administered in some areas. However, monitoring the disease and avoiding mosquito bites are the most effective preventive measures.
“Receiving the malaria elimination certificate today is not the end of the journey but the beginning of a new phase,” said Egyptian Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar. “We must now work tirelessly and vigilantly to maintain our achievement while maintaining the highest standards of monitoring, diagnosis and treatment.”
In the 1940s, malaria cases in Egypt increased to more than three million due to population displacement during World War II. The construction of the Aswan Dam in the 1960s also increased the risk of malaria by creating breeding grounds for mosquitoes through standing water. However, according to the WHO, by 2001, Egypt had brought malaria “completely under control”.
Meanwhile, Nigeria bears the highest malaria burden, accounting for more than a quarter of all malaria deaths globally, followed by the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and Mozambique.
