The World Health Organization (WHO) has certified Egypt as malaria-free, marking a significant public health milestone for a country with more than 100 million inhabitants.
The achievement follows a nearly 100-year effort by the North African country to end a disease that has been present in there since ancient times.
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"Malaria is as old as Egyptian civilization itself, but the disease that plagued pharaohs now belongs to its history and not its future," Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, was quoted as saying in a statement.
"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. I congratulate Egypt on this achievement, which is an inspiration to other countries in the region, and shows what's possible with the right resources and the right tools."
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Egypt is 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. Globally, a total of 44 countries and 1 territory have reached this milestone.
"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.
"We must now work tirelessly and vigilantly to sustain our achievement through maintaining the highest standards for surveillance, diagnosis and treatment, integrated vector management and sustaining our effective and rapid response to imported cases. Our continued multisectoral efforts will be critical to preserving Egypt's malaria-free status."
Certification of malaria elimination is granted by the WHO when a country 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. A country must also demonstrate the capacity to prevent the re-establishment of transmission.
