The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently declared Cabo Verde, an island country located in West Africa in the central Atlantic Ocean, to be a malaria-free nation.
This is a significant milestone in global health and is expected to bring several positive developments for Cabo Verde, including increased tourism and socio-economic growth.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has certified Cabo Verde as a malaria-free country, marking a significant achievement in global health. With this announcement, Cabo Verde joins the ranks of 43 countries and one territory that WHO has awarded this certification.
Cabo Verde is the third country to be certified in the WHO African region, joining Mauritius and Algeria, which were certified in 1973 and 2019, respectively. Malaria burden is the highest on the African continent, which accounted for approximately 95% of global malaria cases and 96% of related deaths in 2021.
The certification of Cabo Verde’s malaria elimination will bring about a positive development in many aspects.
Systems and structures established to eliminate malaria have strengthened the health system and will be used to combat other mosquito-borne diseases like dengue.
Tourists and travellers coming from non-malaria endemic regions can now travel to Cabo Verde islands without worrying about contracting local malaria and undergoing preventive treatment measures.
This can attract more tourists and boost the socio-economic activities of a country, where tourism represents approximately 25% of the GDP.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of WHO said, “I salute the government and people of Cabo Verde for their unwavering commitment and resilience in their journey to eliminating malaria… Cabo Verde’s success is the latest in the global fight against malaria and gives us hope that with existing tools, as well as new ones, including vaccines, we can dare to dream of a malaria-free world.”
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