The World Health Organization (WHO) has certified Azerbaijan and Tajikistan for achieving the elimination of malaria in their territories. The certification follows a century-long sustained effort to eradicate the disease by the two countries.
“The people and governments of Azerbaijan and Tajikistan have worked long and hard to eliminate malaria,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Her achievement is further proof that, with the right resources and political commitment, it is possible to eliminate malaria. I hope other countries can learn from their experience.”
Certification of malaria elimination is the official recognition by the WHO of a country’s malaria-free status. Certification is granted when a country has demonstrated, with rigorous and credible evidence, that the indigenous chain of transmission of malaria by Anopheles mosquito control has been discontinued across the country for at least the last three consecutive years. A country must also demonstrate the ability to prevent re-establishment of transmission.
“Azerbaijan and Tajikistan’s achievement was made possible by the sustained investment and dedication of health workers, along with targeted prevention, early detection and treatment of all malaria cases. The WHO European Region is now two steps closer to becoming the world’s first completely malaria-free region,” said Dr. Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe.
Azerbaijan detected its last case of local transmission Plasmodium vivax (P.vivax) malaria in 2012 and Tajikistan in 2014. With today’s announcement, a total of 41 countries and 1 territory have been certified malaria-free by WHO, including 21 countries in the European region.
Invest in universal health coverage and malaria control
Malaria control efforts in Azerbaijan and Tajikistan were strengthened through a variety of public health investments and policies that enabled governments to eliminate the disease over time and maintain malaria-free status.
For more than 6 decades, both governments have guaranteed universal primary health care. They have strongly supported malaria-specific interventions, including, for example, prevention measures such as spraying the interior walls of houses with insecticides, promoting early detection and treatment of all cases, and maintaining the skills and capacities of all health workers involved in the elimination of malaria.
Both Azerbaijan and Tajikistan use national electronic malaria surveillance systems that provide near real-time case detection and allow for rapid investigations to determine whether an infection is local or imported. Additional interventions include biological larval control methods, such as mosquito-eating fish, and water management measures to reduce malaria vectors.
Since the 1920s, a sizeable part of Tajikistan’s economy, and to a lesser extent Azerbaijan’s, has been dependent on agricultural production, particularly valuable cotton and rice exports.
Historically, agricultural irrigation systems in both countries have also posed a malaria risk to workers. Both countries have established systems to protect agricultural workers by providing free access to malaria diagnosis and treatment in the public health system.
Malaria control personnel have the ability to promptly test, diagnose, and treat infected workers with appropriate antimalarial drugs, and to monitor and assess environmental, entomological, and epidemiological risk factors. Additional program activities include periodic evaluation of the judicious use of insecticides for vector control, implementation of water management systems, and education of the public on malaria prevention.
Note to the editor
WHO malaria free certification
The final decision on granting malaria-free certification rests with the WHO Director-General, based on a recommendation from the independent Technical Advisory Group on Malaria Elimination and Certification. For more information on the WHO malaria-free certification process, visit this link.
—————————————————-
Source link