Washington, Oct 21 (UNI) The World Health Organization (WHO) certified Egypt as a malaria-free country, marking a historic milestone in the fight against the disease, the organization said in a statement.
“The World Health Organization (WHO) has certified Egypt as malaria-free, marking a significant public health milestone for a country with more than 100 million inhabitants,” the statement says.
The WHO added that the achievement was the result of “nearly 100-year effort by the Egyptian government and people to end a disease that has been present in the country since ancient times.”
The WHO assigns malaria-free status to a country subject to detailed and reliable evidence that the chain of transmission of malaria-carrying mosquitoes has been interrupted throughout its territory for at least the past three years.
Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease. The WHO previously reported that despite progress, the African region remained the region hardest hit by the deadly disease.