Egypt Is Free of Malaria

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently declared that Egypt is malaria free. In order to achieve this designation, the country must prove that they have interrupted the mosquito-borne transmission of the disease for at least three years.

Egypt began fighting the spread of malaria in the 1920s, first by restricting some agriculture near residential homes. There were setbacks caused by war, displacement, and standing water from the Aswan Dam, but the country was getting control of the disease by 2001, according to the WHO.

95% of global deaths from malaria occur in Africa, with Nigeria having the highest number of fatalities. However, this year also saw major new vaccine rollouts across the continent.

For more information, head over to Al Jazeera.