Health: Cape Verde officially declared malaria-free (WHO)

Cape Verde, with a population of around 500,000, was officially declared Malaria Eradicated by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 12 January 2024, a major achievement for the country.

Cape Verde thus becomes the 3ᵉ African country to achieve this goal, after Mauritius in 1973 and Algeria in 2019.

This achievement is the result of a considerable effort and testifies to the commitment of the Cape Verdean government as well as international organisations in the fight against this devastating disease.

More than forty countries have obtained the same certification, awarded when a country provides proof that the chain of domestic transmission by mosquitoes has been interrupted nationwide for at least three consecutive years.

In Africa, in addition to Mauritius and Cape Verde, Algeria has been declared malaria-free in 2019.

However, malaria continues to cause the deaths of an estimated 608,000 people in 2022, out of nearly 250 million infections worldwide, according to the WHO website.

Hence the need to continue and intensify the fight, for the well-being of the population.

Smith K.