Egypt Joins Hundred Other Countries as Certified Malaria-Free by WHO

Egypt joins over a hundred other nations officially certified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as malaria-free, a significant achievement for the country of over 100 million people. This milestone, announced on October 20, comes after nearly a century of dedicated efforts by the Egyptian government to eradicate the disease.

“Malaria is as old as Egyptian civilisation itself, but the disease that plagued pharaohs now belongs to its history and not its future,” stated Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. Evidence of the disease had been found in mummies that date as far back as 4000 B.C.E. Early control measures began in the 1920s.

Egypt becomes the third country in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region to achieve malaria-free status, following the United Arab Emirates and Morocco. Overall, 44 countries and one territory have reached this goal globally.

“Receiving the malaria elimination certificate today is not the end of the journey but the beginning of a new phase,” said Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Deputy Prime Minister of Egypt.

Just over a year ago, after more than 70 years of efforts to eradicate the disease, Belize was also officially certified malaria-free by the WHO. Belize was recognised as the fourth country in the Americas and the second in Central America free of the disease.