Friday, January 12, 2024 – The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially certified Cape Verde as a malaria-free country.
This achievement places Cape Verde among the elite group of
43 countries and 1 territory that has received such certification from the WHO.
Cape Verde is the third country in the WHO African region to
attain this status, following Mauritius and Algeria, certified in 1973 and
2019, respectively.
The official certification by WHO is granted when a country
demonstrates, with rigorous evidence, the interruption of indigenous malaria
transmission by Anopheles mosquitoes nationwide for at least the past three
consecutive years.
Additionally, the country must showcase the capacity to
prevent the re-establishment of transmission.
In the world, the African continent bears the highest
malaria burden, accounting for approximately 95% of global malaria cases and
96% of related deaths as of 2021.
The WHO certification is expected to have wide-ranging
positive effects on Cape Verde’s development including combating other
mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue fever and boosting socio-economic
activities in a country where tourism constitutes approximately 25% of GDP.
WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus,
commended the commitment and resilience of the government and people of Cape
Verde.
Dr. Tedros expressed optimism about the possibility of a
malaria-free world with existing tools and new advancements, including
vaccines.
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