Cabo Verde has joined Mauritius and Algeria as the third African country to be declared malaria-free by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The WHO awarded Cabo Verde a certificate of elimination, recognizing the country’s efforts in combating the disease.
This achievement is seen as a significant milestone in global health, and WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed hope that with existing tools and new advancements like vaccines, a malaria-free world is within reach.
The WHO has designated malaria as one of the deadliest diseases in Africa, with the continent accounting for the majority of global cases and deaths. Cabo Verde, which has faced severe malaria epidemics, adjusted its interventions in response to outbreaks in 2017 and has successfully disrupted indigenous malaria transmission for at least three years, earning the zero-malaria certification.
Cabo Verdean Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva expressed satisfaction with the progress made in the country’s external image, highlighting the positive impact on tourism and overall development. The successful efforts in the health system of Cabo Verde are also being acknowledged.
In another development, the world’s first malaria vaccine, Mosquirix, produced by British pharmaceutical company GSK, was introduced in Africa, with Cameroon receiving a significant number of doses.
The vaccine will be further distributed to 12 African countries by 2025, as announced by GAVI, WHO, and UNICEF. These countries include Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Niger, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi.
