WHO Declares Egypt Malaria-Free

Egypt has been officially certified as malaria-free by the World Health Organization (WHO), a significant milestone achieved after nearly a century of efforts to combat the disease that has plagued the nation since ancient times. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus hailed this certification as 'truly historic,' marking Egypt as the third country in the Eastern Mediterranean Region to achieve this status, following the United Arab Emirates and Morocco. The certification is granted when a country demonstrates that malaria transmission has been interrupted for at least three consecutive years. Egypt's journey to eradicate malaria included various initiatives starting in the 1920s, with notable progress in public health measures. This accomplishment places Egypt among 44 countries globally that have eliminated indigenous malaria transmission, which annually claims over 600,000 lives, predominantly in Africa. Moving forward, Egyptian officials emphasize the importance of maintaining rigorous health standards to sustain their malaria-free status.