The World Health Organization has certified Azerbaijan and Tajikistan as malaria‑free, recognizing their successful elimination of the disease within their territories. This certification follows a sustained, century‑long effort by both countries to eradicate malaria. The WHO announced the decision in a press statement released to our correspondent on Wednesday.
“The people and governments of Azerbaijan and Tajikistan have worked long and hard to eliminate malaria,” said WHO Director‑General Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus. “Their accomplishment is further proof that, with the right resources and political commitment, eliminating malaria is possible. I hope that other countries can learn from their experience.”
Certification of malaria elimination is the WHO’s official recognition that a country has been malaria‑free. It is granted when a nation provides rigorous, credible evidence that indigenous transmission by Anopheles mosquitoes has been interrupted nationwide for at least three consecutive years, and that it can prevent the re‑establishment of transmission.
“Azerbaijan’s and Tajikistan’s achievement was possible thanks to sustained investment and the dedication of the health workforce, together with targeted prevention, early detection, and treatment of all malaria cases,” said WHO Regional Director for Europe Dr. Hans Kluge. “The WHO European Region is now two steps closer to becoming the first region in the world to be fully malaria‑free.”
Azerbaijan recorded its last locally transmitted case of *Plasmodium vivax* malaria in 2012, and Tajikistan in 2014. With today’s announcement, a total of 41 countries and one territory have been certified malaria‑free by the WHO, including 21 countries in the European region.
“Malaria control efforts in Azerbaijan and Tajikistan were strengthened through a range of investments and public‑health policies that enabled the governments, over time, to eliminate the disease and maintain malaria‑free status,” the WHO noted. “For more than six decades, both governments have guaranteed universal primary health care and have vigorously supported targeted malaria interventions—such as indoor residual spraying, promotion of early detection and treatment, and maintenance of skilled health‑worker capacities.”
Both countries use national electronic malaria surveillance systems that provide near‑real‑time case detection and allow rapid investigations to determine whether an infection is local or imported. Additional measures include biological larval control methods, such as mosquito‑eating fish, and water‑management practices to reduce malaria vectors.
The final decision on awarding a malaria‑free certification rests with the WHO Director‑General, based on a recommendation from the Independent Technical Advisory Group on Malaria Elimination and Certification.
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