Malaria has been completely eradicated in Egypt, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on October 20, 2024, describing this achievement as " truly historical " and the culmination of nearly a century of efforts to eradicate the disease.
"Ancestral scourge"
“ Malaria is as old as Egyptian civilization itself, but the disease that struck the pharaohs now belongs to its history, not its future.“said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a statement. “ Egypt's certification as malaria-free is truly historic and a testament to the commitment of the Egyptian people and government to rid themselves of this age-old scourge." he added.
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An interrupted transmission chain
Globally, 44 countries and one territory have been certified as malaria-free. Certification of malaria elimination is granted by WHO when a country has demonstrated that the chain of mosquito-borne malaria transmission has been interrupted nationally for at least the previous three consecutive years. A country must also demonstrate its ability to prevent the re-establishment of transmission. According to WHO, malaria kills more than 600,000 people each year, including 95,000 in Africa.
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