WHO certifies Egypt as malaria-free; calls it ‘historic feat’ ending ancient scourge

Egypt declared malaria-free by WHO after nearly a century of work, marking a historic achievement in global health.

Egypt was certified as 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 stamp out the disease.

"Malaria is as old as Egyptian civilisation itself, but the disease that plagued pharaohs now belongs to its history and not its future," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said 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."

Globally, 44 countries and one territory have now been certified as malaria-free.

Certification is granted by the WHO when a country has proven that the chain of indigenous malaria transmission by the Anopheles mosquitoes has been interrupted nationwide for at least the previous three consecutive years. A country must also demonstrate the ability to prevent the re-establishment of transmission.

Malaria kills more than 600,000 people every year, 95 percent of them in Africa, according to the WHO. There were 249 million recorded malaria cases worldwide in 2022.

Spread by mosquitoes, malaria is mostly found in tropical countries. The infection is caused by a parasite.