Egypt is officially malaria-free

WHO declares Egypt malaria-free: Egypt has been declared malaria-free following a 100-year effort to battle the disease — an achievement that the World Health Organization called “truly historic.”

Egypt is among a handful of countries in the region that have eradicated the disease: Among the 44 countries and one territory that have received the designation, Egypt is only the third in the Eastern Mediterranean Region after the UAE and Morocco. Countries must “demonstrate the capacity to prevent the re-establishment of transmission” in order to be certified, WHO said.

The foreign press took note: Reuters and the BBC took note of the news.