WHO Declares Egypt 'Malaria-Free'
WHO Declares Egypt 'Malaria-Free'
The Facts
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared Egypt "malaria-free" on Sunday, stating that the achievement marks the end of a "nearly 100-year effort by the Egyptian government and people."
To be considered malaria-free, a country must report no local transmission of the disease for three years. After dealing with malaria since 4,000 B.C., Egypt began its path to eradication in the 1920s by limiting mosquito-attracting agriculture, such as rice.Egypt is now one of 44 countries and one territory around the world to have reached this milestone — the third in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region, and the first since 2010.
The Spin
While the world is on a positive path toward eradicating malaria, from billions of cases prevented to millions of lives saved, more must be done. This will include prevenativepreventive strategies like vaccines, mosquito sprays, and bed nets, as well as treatments such as Artemisinin-based therapies. Pregnant mothers must also be a primary target for prevention and treatment.
The world should be skeptical of the medical establishment when it comes to infectious diseases, especially in the wake of the pandemic. Now that the smear campaigns are over, low-cost drugs like ivermectin — which has long been proven to treat malaria and more recently COVID-19 — should be at the top of every doctor's treatment list to help eradicate this disease and others.
