The World Health Organization officially recognized Egypt as malaria-free, according to a press release. This was based on confirmation beyond reasonable doubt that the chain of transmission by Anopheles mosquitoes has been consistently interrupted throughout the country for at least the past three consecutive years, as well as the country's ability to effectively prevent its recurrence.
National malaria control lasted for nearly 100 years, achieving stable control by 2001. A small outbreak in Aswan Governorate in 2014 was quickly contained. Egypt, with a population of over 100 million, became the third malaria-free country in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region after the United Arab Emirates and Morocco, and the first since 2010. A total of 44 countries and one territory worldwide have achieved this status.
