The World Health Organization (WHO) has certified Cabo Verde as a malaria-free country, marking a significant achievement in global health.
With this announcement, Cabo Verde joins the ranks of 43 countries and one territory that WHO has awarded the certification.
Cabo Verde is the third country to be certified in the WHO African region, joining Mauritius and Algeria, which were certified in 1973 and 2019 respectively.
Malaria burden is the highest on the African continent, which accounts for approximately 95 per cent of global malaria cases and 96 per cent of related deaths in 2021.
A press release by the WHO says the certification of malaria elimination would drive positive development on many fronts for Cabo Verde as systems and structures built for malaria elimination had strengthened the health system and would be used to fight other mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue fever.
It said travelers from non-malaria endemic regions could now travel to the islands of Cabo Verde without fear of local malaria infections and the potential inconvenience of preventive treatment measures.
This can attract more visitors and boost socio-economic activities in a country where tourism accounts for about 25 per cent of GDP.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the WHO’s certification of Cabo Verde being malaria-free was 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.
“I salute the government and people of Cabo Verde for their unwavering commitment and resilience in their journey to eliminating malaria,” he said.
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 three consecutive years.
The country must also demonstrate the capacity to prevent the re-establishment of transmission.
Cabo Verde, an archipelago of 10 islands in the Central Atlantic Ocean, has faced significant malaria challenges.
Before the 1950s, all islands were affected by malaria. Severe epidemics were regular occurrences in the most densely populated areas until targeted interventions were implemented.
Through the targeted use of insecticide spraying, the country eliminated malaria twice: in 1967 and 1983, however, subsequent lapses in vector control led to a return of the disease.
Since the last peak of malaria cases in the late 1980s, malaria in Cabo Verde has been confined to two islands: Santiago and Boa Vista, which have now both been malaria-free since 2017.
Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, said Cabo Verde’s achievement was 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, the attainment of this milestone by Cabo Verde is an inspiring example for other nations to follow,” he said.
GNA
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15 Jan. 2024
