An Anopheles stephensi mosquito receives a blood meal from a human host through its sharp proboscis in this undated handout photo obtained by Reuters on Nov. 23, 2015. A known malaria vector, the species can be found from Egypt to China. file | Photo courtesy: Reuters
Egypt was certified malaria-free on Sunday, October 20, 2024, with the World Health Organization calling the achievement “truly historic” and the culmination of nearly a century of work to eliminate the disease.
“Malaria is as old as Egyptian civilization, but the disease that troubled the pharaohs now belongs to its history, not its future,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement.
“Certifying Egypt as malaria-free is truly historic, and a testament to the commitment of the Egyptian people and government to ridding it of this ancient scourge.”
Globally, 44 countries and one territory have now been certified malaria-free.
Certification by WHO is given when a country has proven that the chain of indigenous malaria transmission by Anopheles mosquitoes has been interrupted throughout the country for at least the last three years. A country must also demonstrate the ability to prevent re-establishment of transmission.
According to WHO, malaria kills more than 600,000 people each year, 95 percent of which occur in Africa. 249 million cases of malaria were reported worldwide in 2022.
Malaria spread by mosquitoes is mostly found in tropical countries. This infection is caused by a parasite.
“Receiving the malaria elimination certificate today is not the end of the journey but the beginning of a new phase,” said Egyptian Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar. “We must now work tirelessly and vigilantly to maintain our achievement while maintaining the highest standards of monitoring, diagnosis and treatment.”
WHO said early efforts to reduce human-mosquito contact in Egypt began in the 1920s when it banned the cultivation of rice and agricultural crops near homes. By 1942, cases in Egypt had increased to more than 3 million as a result of population displacement during World War II.
The Aswan Dam, built in the 1960s, created new malaria threats as standing water created breeding grounds for mosquitoes. But by 2001, malaria was “completely under control” in Egypt, WHO said.
Nigeria accounts for more than a quarter of malaria deaths each year, ahead of DR Congo, Uganda and Mozambique.
published – October 22, 2024 10:48 am IST