WHO Declaration Of Malaria-Free Egypt Historic Feat Following Decades Of Efforts

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) By Abdulaziz Faisal
CAIRO, Oct 22 (KUNA) -- The World health Organization (WHO) declared, yesterday, that Egypt was malaria-free and awarded Egypt with certification of malaria elimination, which represented a historic achievement following decades of effort to eradicate the disease.
The elimination of malaria from Egypt is a significant health milestone, the result of sustained and comprehensive efforts by the Egyptian government to combat a disease that has plagued many countries for over 12 years.
Malaria was once a major health challenge in rural and agricultural areas of Egypt, where stagnant water in swamps provided a breeding ground for the mosquitoes that transmit the disease.
Egypt tackled malaria using several methods, including insecticide, swamp drainage, health awareness campaigns, immediate treatment of cases, and continuous monitoring.
WHO Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that Egypt's certification as malaria-free was a historic success and a testament to the commitment of the Egyptian people and government in eliminating this disease.
He added that malaria was as old as the Egyptian civilization, which once afflicted the pharaohs, was now a part of Egypt's past, nit Egypt's future.
Egyptian Health Minister, Khaled Abdel Ghaffar noted that receiving the malaria elimination certificate was not the end of the journey, but the beginning of a new phase.
He stressed the importance of maintaining this achievement by upholding the highest standards of surveillance, diagnosis, treatment, integrated vector management, and sustained and rapid responses to any incoming cases.
WHO awards the malaria elimination certificate to any country that can provide indisputable evidence that the local transmission of malaria, caused by the Anopheles mosquito, has ceased for at least three consecutive years, and the country must also demonstrate its ability to prevent the re-establishment of transmission.
Egypt was the third country in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region to receive malaria-free certification, following the UAE and Morocco, and the first to achieve this status since 2010, globally, 44 countries and one region have reached this milestone.
In a statement to KUNA, Egyptian Presidential Advisor for Health and Prevention Affairs, Dr. Mohamed Awad Tag Al-Din described this certification as a major achievement for Egypt in its healthcare efforts to combat and eliminate malaria, despite its continued presence in some countries.
He emphasized that this official certificate was proof that Egypt has successfully eradicate an infectious disease after multiple stages of verification and testing, reflecting the strength of the country's healthcare system.
Dr. Tag Al-Din also added that President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi places special importance on the health sector, particularly preventive healthcare, as part of the country's sustainable development goals.
The roots of malaria in Egypt date back to around 4000 BC, based on genetic evidence found in mummies, including that of Tutankhamun and other ancient Egyptian remains.
Efforts to reduce human-mosquito contact in Egypt began in the 1920s when the country banned rice cultivation and other crops near homes.
In 1930, with malaria affecting 40 percent of the population, Egypt classified the disease as a reportable condition and later opened its first malaria control station focused on diagnosis, treatment, and surveillance.
By 1942, malaria cases in Egypt had risen to over 3 million due to population displacement during World War II, disrupted medical supplies and services, and the invasion of highly efficient Anopheles mosquitoes, among other factors.
Egypt successfully controlled a malaria outbreak by establishing 16 treatment centers and employing over 4,000 healthcare workers.
By 2001, Egypt had effectively controlled malaria and the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population set its sights on preventing the resurgence of local transmission.
In 2014, Egypt swiftly contained a small malaria outbreak in the Governorate of Aswan through early case detection, immediate treatment, vector control, and public education.
Malaria diagnosis and treatment are available free of charge to all residents in Egypt, and healthcare professionals across the country, including at the borders, are trained to detect and screen for malaria cases. (end)
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