(MENAFN- AzerNews)
By Sabina Mammadli
Azerbaijan is expected to be certified by the World Health
Organization as a“malaria-free” country.
The discussion was held at the Azerbaijani health Ministry and
took place within the framework of the WHO Assessment Mission's
working visit to Azerbaijan, which will last from October 3 to
14.
Welcoming the guests, Azerbaijani Health Minister Teymur Musayev
stressed that the country attaches great importance to cooperation
with the World Health Organization. According to him, Azerbaijan
has been closely cooperating with the organization since 1992, and
this cooperation is developing steadily.
Speaking at the event, the minister noted the work carried out
in Azerbaijan to prevent malaria and eliminate its source.
“For many years, Azerbaijan has carried out large-scale measures
to prevent malaria and eliminate its root. As a result of these
efforts, local transmission of malaria has been interrupted since
2013,” the official noted.
Musayev recalled that as a result of the deterioration of the
socio-political situation in the republic in connection with the
well-known events in the early 90s of the last century, the chaotic
migration of more than 1 million refugees and internally displaced
persons, malaria spread on a large scale and covered 80 percent of
the country's territory.
“In connection with the epidemiological situation, according to
the recommendations of the WHO, a National Program was developed.
As a result of the successful implementation of this program, the
spread of the disease was prevented, and the incidence of diseases
was significantly reduced,” he added.
Further, he stressed that the elimination of malaria in
Azerbaijan was achieved through strengthening the national
healthcare system, and coordinated work of all structures of the
Health Ministry together with other ministries, departments, and
organizations of the republic.
“Success in the fight against malaria was also made possible
thanks to the long-term comprehensive support of partners, the
leading place among which is occupied by the World Health
Organization,” Musayev finalized.
In turn, a member of the WHO Assessment Mission, Keith Carter
noted Azerbaijan's invaluable contribution to eliminating malaria
in the region and maintaining its free status.
It was noted that in September 2021, the leadership of the
Azerbaijani Health Ministry sent an official letter to WHO
Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus with a request to
confirm the country's malaria-free status. In this regard, in May
of this year, the WHO conducted a pre-certification mission to
Azerbaijan, consisting of WHO malaria specialists. In addition, in
June 2022, the Azerbaijani Health Ministry presented the“National
Report on Malaria Elimination in the Republic of Azerbaijan” with a
package of required documents to the WHO Global Program for Malaria
Control.
As a result of the two-week work of the WHO Assessment Mission
with individual components of the malaria surveillance system and
based on the results of the work done, Azerbaijan is expected to be
certified by the World Health Organization as a“malaria-free”
country.
The delegation also consisted of members of the Technical
Advisory Independent Group for Malaria Elimination Certification
(TAG-MEC). WHO representative for Azerbaijan Hande Harmanji also
attended the meeting.
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