Suriname became the first country in the Amazon region to receive malaria-free certification from the World Health Organization (WHO). Countries that have achieved at least 3 consecutive years of zero indigenous cases are eligible to apply for a WHO certification of malaria-free status.
Malaria is a disease caused by a parasite transmitted through the bite of an infected female Anopheles mosquito.
Suriname is a small country on the northeastern coast of South America.
In the South East Asian Region, the Maldives (2015) and Sri Lanka (2016) are the only countries certified malaria-free by WHO.
Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, Lesotho, Mauritius, Seychelles, and Cabo Verde are also malaria-free in Africa along with smaller sub-Saharan countries like. The only non-malaria areas in Africa are in parts of South Africa, Namibia and Botswana.
This historic milestone follows nearly 70 years of commitment by the government and people of Suriname to eliminate the disease across its vast rainforests and diverse communities.
“WHO congratulates Suriname on this remarkable achievement,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.
With Monday’s announcement, a total of 46 countries and 1 territory have been certified as malaria-free by WHO, including 12 countries in the Region of the Americas, said WHO press release.
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.
Dr Amar Ramadhin, Minister of Health of Suriname, stated: “Being malaria-free means that our population is no longer at risk from malaria. Furthermore, eliminating malaria will have positive effects on our healthcare sector, boost the economy, and enhance tourism.
Suriname’s malaria control efforts began in the 1950s in the country’s densely-populated coastal areas, relying heavily on indoor spraying with the pesticide DDT and antimalarial treatment.
By the 1960s, the coastal areas had become malaria-free and attention turned towards the country’s forested interior, home to diverse indigenous and tribal communities. it said.
Although indoor spraying was successful in coastal areas, its impact was limited in the country’s interior due to the prevalence of traditional open-style homes that offer minimal protection against mosquitoes.
In 1974 malaria control in the interior was decentralized. The surge in mining activities, particularly gold mining which often involves travel between malaria-endemic areas, led to increases in malaria, reaching a peak of more than 15 000 cases in 2001, the highest transmission rates of malaria in the Americas.
Since 2005, with support from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the capacity to provide diagnosis was greatly expanded with both improvements in microscopy and the use of rapid diagnostic tests, particularly among mobile groups.
The government of Suriname has shown strong commitment to malaria elimination, including through the National Malaria Elimination Taskforce, Malaria Program, Malaria Elimination Fund, and cross-border collaboration with Brazil, Guyana and French Guiana, it reads.
Suriname participated in the “Elimination 2025” initiative – a group of countries identified by WHO as having the potential to eliminate malaria by 2025.
