The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Sunday that malaria has been completely eradicated in Egypt, marking the culmination of nearly a century of efforts to eliminate the disease.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus © Mena Today
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Sunday that malaria has been completely eradicated in Egypt, marking the culmination of nearly a century of efforts to eliminate the disease.
Describing the achievement as "truly historic," the WHO emphasized the significance of the accomplishment for the region and the world.
"Malaria is as ancient as Egyptian civilization itself, but the disease that plagued the pharaohs is now part of history, not the future," stated WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a press release.
"Egypt's certification as a malaria-free country is genuinely historic and is a testament to the commitment of the Egyptian people and government to rid themselves of this ancient scourge," he added.
Globally, 44 countries and one territory have been certified as malaria-free. WHO grants certification for malaria elimination when a country can prove that malaria transmission through mosquitoes has been halted on a national scale for at least three consecutive years. Additionally, the country must demonstrate its ability to prevent the reestablishment of transmission.
Malaria remains a deadly disease, claiming more than 600,000 lives annually, with 95% of these deaths occurring in Africa, according to the WHO. This achievement in Egypt offers hope and inspiration for further progress in the global fight against malaria.
Israel will not allow a planned meeting in the Palestinian administrative capital of Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, to go ahead, an Israeli official said on Saturday, after media reported that Arab ministers planning to attend had been stopped from coming.
Three suspects have been detained for allegedly storming the Libyan state oil firm's headquarters in Tripoli, the country's attorney general said on Thursday, a day after its rival government in the east threatened to declare force majeure on oil fields and ports citing assaults on the firm.
Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita received his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdelatty, on Wednesday in Rabat. The visit, marked by warm diplomatic exchange, included the delivery of a written message from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to His Majesty King Mohammed VI.
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