Following a nearly century-long effort, Georgia has been certified malaria-free by the World Health Organization, joining the ranks of 45 countries and one territory that have achieved this milestone.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO Director-General, congratulated the people of Georgia for their decades of “targeted and sustained” actions to eliminate malaria, which he called “one of the world’s leading killers”.
“Georgia’s commitment and success gives us hope that a malaria-free world is possible”, Ghebreyesus said.
Hans Henri P. Kluge, the WHO Regional Director for Europe, emphasised that Georgia’s milestone had brought the European region closer to being the first malaria-free region in the world.
“This is a huge milestone worth marking; with Georgia’s achievement, the WHO European Region is another step closer to initiating certification as the first malaria-free region in the world. This doesn’t happen in a vacuum, this was made possible thanks to sustained investment, dedication of the health workforce and targeted efforts in prevention, early detection and effective treatment of all malaria cases”, Kluge said.
Certification of malaria elimination is granted by WHO when a country has proven, beyond reasonable doubt, that the chain of indigenous transmission has been interrupted nationwide for at least the previous three consecutive years.
Georgian Health Minister Mikheil Sarjveladze noted that the certification had demonstrated the resilience of Georgia’s health system and its ability to address significant health challenges, saying “this success means that Georgia can address important health challenges”.
In 2024, during Georgia’s malaria-free certification process, members of the Technical Advisory Group on Malaria Elimination and Certification, an independent WHO advisory body, noted that Georgia had a well-functioning and adequately resourced health system, strong public-private cooperation, and political commitment to maintaining a malaria-free status.
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