WHO Declares Belize Malaria-free
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared Belize malaria-free after 70 years of thriving malaria infection.
The declaration brings to 43, countries and territories certified as malaria-free by WHO in the Americas.
“WHO congratulates the people and government of Belize and their network of global and local partners for this achievement”, said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “Belize is another example of how, with the right tools and the right approach, we can dream of a malaria-free future.”
WHO certifies a country as malaria-free when it has shown – with rigorous, credible evidence – that the chain of indigenous malaria transmission by Anopheles mosquitoes has been interrupted nationwide for at least the past three consecutive years.
In addition, a national surveillance system capable of rapidly detecting and responding to any malaria cases must be operational, together with an effective programme to prevent the re-establishment of the disease.
