ASHENEWS reports that the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared Cabo Verde as malaria-free.
Cabo Verde is an island country located in the central Atlantic Ocean of West Africa.
This declaration according to a statement posted on the official website of the WHO makes the country the fourth in the WHO Africa Region to be awarded the status.
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“Breaking: @WHO certifies Cabo Verde🇨🇻 as malaria-free, joining 43 countries and 1 territory that have received this certification.
Cabo Verde is the first sub-Saharan country in 50 years to eliminate malaria!,” a tweet posted on the official X handle of the WHO Africa Region also read.
Commenting on the development, the WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus lauded the government and people of Cabo Verde for their unwavering commitment and resilience in their journey to eliminating malaria.
“WHO’s certification of Cabo Verde being malaria-free is a testament to the power of strategic public health planning, collaboration, and sustained effort to protect and promote health. Cabo Verde’s success is the latest in the global fight against malaria, and gives us hope that with existing tools, as well as new ones including vaccines, we can dare to dream of a malaria-free world,” he said.
Also speaking, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa said the attainment of this milestone by Cabo Verde is an inspiring example for other nations to follow.
“Cabo Verde’s achievement is a beacon of hope for the African Region and beyond. It demonstrates that with strong political will, effective policies, community engagement, and multisectoral collaboration, malaria elimination is an achievable goal.”
According to the WHO, certification of malaria elimination is the official recognition by WHO of a country’s malaria-free status. The certification is granted when a country has shown – with rigorous, credible evidence – that the chain of indigenous malaria transmission by Anopheles mosquitoes has been interrupted nationwide for at least the past three consecutive years.
A country must also demonstrate the capacity to prevent the re-establishment of transmission.
