Egypt has officially been certified malaria-free by the World Health Organization (WHO), marking a major public health achievement for the country.
The certificate was presented to Egyptian Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar by Hanan Balkhy, the WHO’s Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, during the Global Population Conference held in Cairo.
The event was attended by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, and other key officials.
In a recorded address to the conference, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praised Egypt’s efforts, stating that the malaria-free certification is the result of a century-long commitment by both the Egyptian government and its people to combat the disease.
He emphasized that this achievement is a significant step towards achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in reducing maternal and infant mortality rates.
Tedros further applauded Egypt’s “100 Million Health” initiative, a nationwide program aimed at improving public health across the country, which has shown tangible results.
He noted that this initiative has helped Egypt make substantial progress towards its health-related targets.
This milestone comes after extensive efforts by the Egyptian Ministry of Health, which in June confirmed that all reported malaria cases in the country were imported from endemic regions.
The ministry reassured the public of Egypt’s robust surveillance system, capable of detecting and managing malaria cases effectively in collaboration with international health authorities.
The WHO’s certification process involved a thorough assessment of Egypt’s malaria control measures, including its comprehensive surveillance, detection, and response systems.
This achievement places Egypt among the select group of countries that have successfully eliminated malaria, underscoring the nation’s growing stature in global health.
