The World Health Organisation has disclosed that Egyp has been certified malaria-free.
The certification was announced by the WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, he noted the disease has been old as Egyptian civilization itself, but the disease that plagued pharaohs now belongs to its history and not its future. He explained that the This certification of Egypt as malaria-free is truly historic, and a testament to the commitment of the people and government of Egypt to rid themselves of this ancient scourge.
The WHO DG continued to congratulate the country for the efforts made to ensure that the disease was defeated in the country; the DG noted that he was impressed with the achievement, which is an inspiration to other countries in the region and shows what’s possible with the right resources and the right tools.
It was learnt that Egypt has become the third country to be awarded a malaria-free certification in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region,, following the United Arab Emirates and Morocco, and the first since 2010. According to WHO data, 44 countries and one territory have reached the stage of being declared malaria-free.
The government representative noted that the country will continue with determination and strong will to safeguard the health of all people in Egypt under the wise leadership’s guidance and proceed with enhancing our healthcare system. This, he said, will remain a cornerstone in protecting the lives of all people living in and visiting Egypt.
It was also learned that a country is granted a Certification of malaria elimination by WHO when it has proven, beyond reasonable doubt, that the chain of indigenous malaria transmission by Anopheles mosquitoes has been interrupted nationwide for at least the previous three consecutive years.It was also noted that to be certified a country must continue to show the capacity to prevent the re-establishment of transmission.
The WHO noted that when the recommendation by the independent Technical Advisory Group on Malaria Elimination and Certification was submitted, the final decision on awarding malaria-free certification would be made by the WHO.
The new milestone by the Egyptian government follows a nearly 100-year effort by the Egyptian government and people to end a disease that has been present in the country since ancient times, according to a statement issued by the global health body on Sunday.
