Egypt has officially put down malaria after 100 years in what the World Health Organisation (WHO) described as a “truly historic” moment for the transcontinental nation.
The UN body certified Egypt’s malaria-free status on Monday, nearly a century after the former nation of pharaohs successfully eliminated the mosquito-borne disease.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that malaria, which has existed since the dawn of Egyptian civilization, now belongs to the country’s past.
Egypt earned the malaria-free certification after reporting zero malaria cases during the last three years, a requirement for every country battling malaria.
Egypt became the third country in the WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Region to reach malaria-free status. The United Arab Emirates and Morocco received the WHO certification before Egypt.
As many as 44 countries around the globe and one territory have been recognized for successfully eliminating malaria.
In a statement, WHO lauded the Egyptian government and people for their persistent efforts, noting that the country’s journey to eliminate malaria began during the 1920s. These initial efforts included banning rice cultivation near residential areas to limit human-mosquito contact.
