Egypt accorded historic malaria-free certification by WHO

GENEVA: On the healthcare front, a good news arrives from Egypt that has been awarded malaria-free certification by the World Health Organization (WHO), a milestone in the country's nearly century-long battle against the disease.
“Malaria is as ancient as Egypt’s civilization itself, but the disease that once plagued the pharaohs is now part of history,” announces WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. He hailed the achievement as a testament to the enduring efforts of the Egyptian government and its people.
Egypt is now one of 44 countries and one territory that have been granted malaria-free certification by the WHO, which requires evidence of interrupted indigenous malaria transmission by Anopheles mosquitoes nationwide for at least three consecutive years, alongside measures to prevent its re-establishment.
Despite this progress, malaria remains a significant global health threat, causing over 600,000 deaths annually, with 95pc of fatalities occurring in Africa. In 2022, the world recorded 249 million cases of malaria which is spread by mosquitoes in tropical regions and results from a parasitic infection.
Receiving the malaria elimination certificate "marks the beginning of a new phase, not the end of the journey," says Egypt's Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, stressing the need for ongoing vigilance to maintain high standards in surveillance, diagnosis, and treatment.
Efforts to curb malaria in Egypt date back to the 1920s, with measures such as restricting rice cultivation near residential areas to limit mosquito contact. However, by 1942, malaria cases had surged to over three million, exacerbated by population displacement during World War II. 
The construction of the Aswan Dam in the 1960s also increased risks by creating breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Nevertheless, the disease was effectively brought under control by 2001, according to WHO.
Currently, Nigeria accounts for over a quarter of global malaria deaths, followed by the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and Mozambique.