On Sunday, Egypt achieved a historic milestone by becoming one of the countries certified as malaria-free by the World Health Organization (WHO). This accomplishment marks the end of nearly a century of efforts to eliminate the disease in Egypt.
“Malaria is as old as Egyptian civilization itself, but the disease that plagued pharaohs now belongs to its history and not its future,” stated WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. He hailed Egypt’s malaria-free certification as “truly historic,” praising the commitment of both the people and the government of Egypt.
Egypt is now part of a distinguished list of 44 countries and one territory that have been certified malaria-free by the WHO. The certification process involves demonstrating that indigenous malaria transmission via Anopheles mosquitoes has been interrupted for at least three consecutive years, along with proof of capacity to prevent the disease from re-establishing.
Malaria remains a significant global health issue, claiming over 600,000 lives annually, with 95% of the deaths occurring in Africa. Egypt’s success story joins that of other countries that have worked tirelessly to eliminate malaria, showcasing the potential for significant progress with sustained effort.
Here is a list of countries certified as malaria-free, including Egypt:
- Algeria (2019)
- Cabo Verde (2024)
- Egypt (2024)
- Mauritius (1973)
- Jordan (2012)
- Morocco (2010)
- United Arab Emirates (2007)
- Armenia (2011)
- Azerbaijan (2023)
- Bosnia and Herzegovina (1973)
- Bulgaria (1965)
- Croatia (1973)
- Cyprus (1967)
- La Réunion (1979)
- Hungary (1964)
- Italy (1970)
- Kyrgyzstan (2016)
- Montenegro (1973)
- Netherlands (1970)
- Poland (1967)
- Portugal (1973)
- Republic of North Macedonia (1973)
- Romania (1967)
- Serbia (1973)
- Slovakia (1963)
- Slovenia (1973)
- Spain (1964)
- Sweden (1963)
- Turkmenistan (2010)
- Uzbekistan (2018)
- Argentina (2019)
- Belize (2023)
- Cuba (1973)
- Dominica (1966)
- El Salvador (2021)
- Grenada (1962)
- Jamaica (1966)
- Paraguay (2018)
- Saint Lucia (1962)
- Trinidad and Tobago (1965)
- United States of America (1970)
- Maldives (2015)
- Sri Lanka (2016)
- Australia (1981)
- Brunei Darussalam (1987)
- China (2021)
- Singapore (1982)