Georgia has been certified Malaria-free by the World Health Organisation (WHO), following a nearly century-long effort.
WHO made the announcement on Thursday, January 23, with Georgia officially joining a list of 45 countties and one territory that have achieved this milestone.
“Today we congratulate the people of Georgia for their decades of targeted and sustained actions to eliminate malaria, one of the world’s leading killers,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO Director-General. “Georgia’s commitment and success gives us hope that a malaria-free world is possible.”
With Georgia’s “huge” achievement, Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, the WHO Regional Director for Europe, said that the region is another step closer to initiate certification as the first malaria-free region in the world.
“This doesn’t happen in a vacuum, this was made possible thanks to sustained investment, dedication of the health workforce and targeted efforts in prevention, early detection and effective treatment of all malaria cases.”
WHO says it grants certification of malaria elimination when a country has proven, beyond reasonable doubt, that the chain of indigenous transmission has been interrupted nationwide for at least the previous three consecutive years.
Countries and territories certified malaria-free by WHO
