It now joins 45 countries and one territory that have achieved this milestone.
“Today we congratulate the people of Georgia for their decades of targeted and sustained action to eliminate malaria, one of the world’s leading killers,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.
About WHO certification
Malaria is spread by some types of mosquitoes and is mostly found in tropical countries. The infection is caused by a parasite and is not spread from person to person. The disease can be both prevented and cured.
Symptoms can be mild or life-threatening. Mild symptoms include fever, chills, and headache, while severe symptoms include fatigue, confusion, seizures, and difficulty breathing.
WHO certifies a country as malaria-free after it proves beyond reasonable doubt that transmission has been interrupted at the national level for at least the previous three consecutive years.
Dr Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, said Georgia’s achievement “is a huge milestone worth celebrating” as it brings Europe one step closer to being certified as the first malaria-free region in the world.
“This is not happening in a vacuum, this was made possible thanks to sustained investment, dedication of health workers and focused efforts in prevention, early detection and effective treatment of all malaria cases,” he said.
A long battle
Malaria has plagued Georgia since ancient times, the WHO noted.
Before the introduction of systematic control in the early 1900s, at least three malaria parasite species – P. falciparum, P. malariae and P. vivax – were endemic there. In the 1920s, about 30 percent of the population suffered from malaria caused by P. vivax malaria species.
By 1940, major mosquito control programs had helped to significantly reduce malaria cases through improved access to diagnostic and treatment facilities. But World War II caused cases to rise again due to population movements and the strain on health facilities.
In the post-war period, Georgia launched an intensive program focused on eliminating malaria using newer drugs, insecticide spraying and robust entomological surveillance. The campaign successfully interrupted the transmission of P. falciparum in 1953, P. malariae in 1960 and P. vivax in 1970.
The country remained malaria-free for 25 years, but by 2002 the disease had re-emerged, with 474 cases reported.
Renewed commitment
In 2005, Georgia and nine other countries in the WHO European Region signed the Tashkent Declaration reaffirming its commitment to eliminate malaria.
The intensified interventions that followed significantly reduced malaria incidence in Georgia, with the last indigenous case recorded in 2009. In 2015, all 53 countries in the WHO European Region, including Georgia, reported zero indigenous cases.
To prevent further re-establishment of malaria transmission in the region, the original signatories of the Tashkent Declaration issued the Ashgabat Declaration in 2017, pledging to make every effort to remain malaria-free.
Turkey is the only country in the WHO European region that is still certified.
