Paraguay, officially free of malaria
Since 1950, the country has implemented policies and programs to control and eliminate the disease, which in the 1940s affected more than 80,000 people. The last case of malaria was registered in 2011.
The World Health Organization (WHO) certified that Paraguay is officially free of malaria. It is the first country in the Americas to achieve this since Cuba did it in 1973.
"Exemplary achievements like that of Paraguay show what is possible. If malaria can be eliminated in one country, it can be eliminated in all, "the WHO director general said in a statement.
If malaria can be eliminated in one country, it can be eliminated in all
From 1950 to 2011, Paraguay systematically developed policies and programs to control and eradicate this disease transmitted by mosquito bites, a major public health challenge for a country that reported more than 80,000 cases of the disease in the 1940s.
As a result of these actions, in Paraguay the last case of malaria was recorded in 2011 . That year, a five-year plan was launched to consolidate the advances, prevent new transmissions and prepare for the certification of the elimination.
In April 2018, the independent WHO malaria elimination certification panel concluded that autochthonous transmission had been interrupted in the South American nation for the required three years and that the country had the capacity to prevent the reestablishment of transmission. .
The experts highlighted the quality and coverage of health services in Paraguay, the awareness of health personnel who provide direct care for malaria, the universal availability of free medical treatment and a robust surveillance system.
For a malaria-free America
The announcement of the official certification will be made today at the second Annual World Forum of Countries that have Eliminated Malaria, convened by the WHO in San Jose, Costa Rica, which will begin today and will last until June 13.
In 2016, WHO identified Paraguay as one of the 21 countries with the potential to eliminate malaria by 2020 .
With the "E-2020 initiative", it is supporting the nations that are redoubling efforts in the activities to become free countries. In the Americas, Belize, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico and Suriname participate.
An update on the progress of the work to eliminate the disease in these countries will be published during the forum.
In the region , malaria cases fell by 62% and deaths from malaria decreased by 61% between 2000 and 2015.
However, the increase in malaria cases reported in several countries in 2016 and 2017 indicates that important challenges remain, including the diagnosis, treatment and investigation of cases, particularly in remote areas.
Between 1960 and 1973, the elimination of malaria was certified in seven countries and territories of the Americas: Cuba, Dominica, Granada, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago and northern Venezuela.
