The World Health Organization said on Friday that Cape Verde has become the third country in Africa to be certified malaria-free, despite the fact that the illness still claims the lives of hundreds of thousands of people there.
The roughly 500,000-person Atlantic archipelago comes after Algeria in 2019 and Mauritius in 1973.
The World Health Organization has certified 43 nations worldwide as being malaria-free, a requirement that involves demonstrating that the domestic chain of transmission has been broken for a minimum of three years.
“I salute the government and people of Cabo Verde for their unwavering commitment and resilience in their journey to eliminating malaria,” said WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, using the country’s local name.
“WHO’s certification of Cabo Verde being malaria-free is testament to the power of strategic public health planning, collaboration, and sustained effort to protect and promote health.”
The WHO estimates that malaria killed 608,000 people worldwide and infected 250 million in 2022.
The disease is particularly present in Africa, which in 2021 accounted for 95 percent of deaths and 94 percent of contaminations. Children under five represented 80 percent of the deaths in Africa, the WHO said.
“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 multi-sectoral collaboration, malaria elimination is an achievable goal,” said Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa.
‘Inspiring Example’
“The attainment of this milestone by Cabo Verde is an inspiring example for other nations to follow.”
Humans contract malaria by being bitten by female mosquitoes carrying the infection, which is primarily found in tropical regions.
Depending on the type, cases may only result in fever and headaches similar to the flu, or they may be fatal within a day.
The main strategies utilized in anti-malaria campaigns have been prevention using mosquito nets and preventative medications, as well as eradication with pesticides.
That being said, the WHO has been recommending two separate vaccines since 2021.
The benefits of Cape Verde being disease-free were emphasized by the WHO.
In a nation where tourism contributes around 25% of GDP, the certification “has the potential to attract more visitors and boost socio-economic activities.”
According to the WHO, malaria afflicted all ten of the country’s islands prior to the 1950s, and severe outbreaks frequently broke out in the areas with the highest population densities.
Insecticide spraying helped the nation eradicate malaria in 1967 and 1983, but each time the disease reappeared due to gaps in the eradication effort.
Malaria in Cape Verde has only been seen on two islands since the disease’s final peak in the late 1980s: Santiago and Boa Vista, both of which have been malaria-free since 2017.
In 2007, the country decided to eradicate malaria, and from 2009 to 2013, a strategic plan was in place to achieve this goal.
The WHO noted that Cape Verde authorities maintained their vigilance during the Covid-19 pandemic and that the plan was centered on enhanced diagnosis, early and effective treatment, and the reporting and investigation of all cases.
International travelers and migrants received free diagnosis and treatment in an effort to stop the flood of imported diseases.