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WHO declares Sri Lanka malaria-free
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Sri Lanka received WHO’s certification for malaria elimination last week after nearly 4 years without any reported local transmission.
Sri Lanka is the second country in the WHO South-East Asia Region to receive the certification, after Maldives, and comes after a decades-long campaign to eradicate malaria.
“Sri Lanka’s achievement is truly remarkable,” Poonam Khetrapal Singh, PhD, MD, director of the WHO Southeast Asia region, said during the annual regional committee meeting. “In the mid-20th century it was among the most malaria-affected countries, but now it is malaria-free.”
Poonam Khetrapal Singh
According to WHO, Sri Lanka’s elimination campaign relied on a combination of mosquito control, mobile malaria clinics and support from international partners. From peak transmission in the 1970s and 1980s, the country reduced its new cases to less than 1,000 per year by 2006, and no cases since October 2012. Sri Lanka’s anti-malaria campaign will continue to work with local and international partners to maintain surveillance, screening and response capacity, according to WHO.
“This is testament to the courage and vision of [Sri Lanka’s] leaders, and signifies the great leaps that can be made when targeted action is taken,” Singh said. “It also demonstrates the importance of grass-roots community engagement and a whole-of-society approach when it comes to making dramatic public health gains.”
There were 214 million new cases of malaria and 438,000 deaths worldwide in 2015, according to WHO. Although malaria mortality rates have declined by about 60%, nearly half of the world’s population, approximately 3.2 billion people, remain at risk for the disease.
Disclosure: Singh is director of WHO Southeast Asia Region.