After many millennia, Egypt has now been officially declared malaria-free by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Malaria was first detected in Egypt over 6,000 years ago, and even the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun of the 18th dynasty contracted this insidious disease and possibly died from it.
Egypt has now been proven to have had no domestic malaria transmissions from Anopheles mosquitoes for more than three years. This was achieved primarily through systematic surveillance, the elimination of breeding grounds and protection against mosquito bites. The WHO has therefore officially recognized Egypt as malaria-free, making the country one of just under 44 countries worldwide that are allowed to use this certificate.