Egypt Achieves Remarkable Milestone: Certified Malaria-Free by WHO

In a groundbreaking announcement, Egypt has been certified malaria-free by the World Health Organization (WHO), a significant milestone recognized as "truly historic" by the UN public health agency. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO chief, noted, “Malaria is as old as Egyptian civilization itself, but the disease that plagued pharaohs now belongs to its history.” This remarkable achievement follows nearly a hundred years of relentless efforts by Egyptian authorities to eradicate the mosquito-borne disease.The WHO's certification comes after Egypt proved that the transmission of malaria had been interrupted for at least three consecutive years. Globally, malaria continues to claim approximately 600,000 lives per year, predominantly in Africa, highlighting the importance of this announcement. Egypt became the third nation in the WHO's Eastern Mediterranean Region to receive this recognition, following the United Arab Emirates and Morocco, with a total of 44 countries and one territory now classified as malaria-free.In their statement, the WHO commended "the Egyptian government and people" for their tireless efforts to eradicate a disease that has plagued the country since ancient times. However, the organization cautioned that this achievement marks the beginning of a new phase; they urged Egypt to remain vigilant in order to maintain its malaria-free status. To achieve certification, a country must demonstrate ongoing capacity to prevent any resurgence of transmission.The battle against malaria in Egypt saw initial strides in the 1920s when authorities began implementing measures to minimize human-mosquito contact, including bans on rice cultivation and certain agricultural practices close to residential areas. While vaccines are being introduced in several regions, the WHO emphasizes that the most effective strategies remain disease monitoring and preventive measures to avoid mosquito bites.