Egypt is certified malaria-free by WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially certified Egypt as malaria-free on October 20, 2024

Historical Effort: This achievement marks nearly a century of efforts by Egypt to eliminate malaria.

Global Context: Egypt is now the 45th country to be certified malaria-free by the WHO.

Certification Criteria: The certification is granted when a country proves that indigenous malaria transmission has been interrupted for at least three consecutive years and has the capacity to prevent re-establishment of transmission.

About Malaria 

Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes.

Cause: Malaria is caused by Plasmodium parasites. The five species known to infect humans are P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale, P. malariae, and P. knowlesi.

Symptoms: Common symptoms include fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, and fatigue. Severe cases can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death.

Treatment: Malaria can be treated with antimalarial drugs such as Artemisinin-based Combination Therapies (ACTs) and chloroquine, depending on the species and drug resistance patterns. 

Prevention: There are currently two malaria vaccines that have been recommended for use:

1. RTS, S/AS01 (RTS, S): This vaccine was the first to be recommended by the WHO for widespread use in children living in regions with moderate to high malaria transmission, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.

2. R21/Matrix-M: This is the second malaria vaccine recommended by the WHO for use in malaria-endemic countries.