CAIRO (Reuters) – The World Health Organization said on Sunday it had certified Egypt as malaria free, marking the elimination of a disease that had been present in the country since ancient times.
The WHO grants certification to countries that have proven beyond reasonable doubt that the chain of indigenous malaria transmission by Anopheles mosquitoes has been interrupted for at least the previous three consecutive years.
The status has been granted to a total of 44 countries and one territory globally, the WHO said in a statement.
(Reporting by Shivani Tanna; Writing by Aidan Lewis; Editing by Hatem Maher)
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