Cabo Verde (Cape Verde) is Now Malaria-Free!

The World Health Organization (WHO) has certified Cabo Verde as a malaria-free country, making it the third country in the WHO African region to achieve this certification, following Mauritius and Algeria in 1973 and 2019, respectively. Malaria is most prevalent in Africa, accounting for approximately 95% of global malaria cases and 96% of related deaths in 2021.

Certification of malaria elimination is granted when a country demonstrates that indigenous malaria transmission by Anopheles mosquitoes has been interrupted nationwide for at least the past three consecutive years and shows the capacity to prevent the re-establishment of transmission.

This certification is a significant milestone for Cabo Verde, an archipelago of 10 islands in the Central Atlantic Ocean. The country has faced malaria challenges in the past, with epidemics regularly affecting densely populated areas before targeted interventions were implemented. Cabo Verde had eliminated malaria twice before but experienced lapses in vector control that led to a resurgence of the disease. Since the late 1980s, malaria in Cabo Verde has been confined to two islands, Santiago and Boa Vista, both of which have been malaria-free since 2017.

The certification will not only improve Cabo Verde’s external image, attracting tourism and boosting socio-economic activities in a country where tourism accounts for approximately 25% of GDP but also serve as an inspiring example for other nations in the region and around the world to follow.

Cabo Verde’s journey to malaria elimination included strong political will, effective policies, community engagement, multisectoral collaboration, and a strategic malaria plan from 2009 to 2013 that laid the groundwork for success. Additionally, the country focused on expanded diagnosis, early and effective treatment, and reporting and investigating all cases. Efforts also targeted imported cases from mainland Africa, providing diagnosis and treatment free of charge to international travellers and migrants.

The country’s response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic further safeguarded progress, with a focus on improving the quality and sustainability of vector control and malaria diagnosis, strengthening malaria surveillance, and collaboration between various government departments. Community-based organizations and NGOs also played a crucial role in Cabo Verde’s successful malaria elimination efforts.

The achievement of malaria-free status is expected to have a lasting positive impact on Cabo Verde’s healthcare system and economic development.

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Source: WHO