Algeria, Egypt, Iraq and Saudi Arabia successfully reach malaria elimination phase

Algeria, Egypt, Iraq and Saudi Arabia are among 10 countries worldwide that have successfully reached the elimination phase for malaria primarily because of improvements in disease interventions, according to the World Malaria Report 2008, which was released last week by the World Health Organization, the Middle East Times reports.

According to the report, Algeria and Egypt reported no malaria cases and no malaria deaths, Iraq reported 28 malaria cases and no malaria deaths, and Saudi Arabia reported 1,473 malaria cases and no malaria deaths in 2006. In addition, WHO certified that the United Arab Emirates was malaria-free as of January 2007, making the UAE the first formerly malaria-endemic country since the 1980s to achieve malaria-free status. Other Middle Eastern countries also have achieved success in curbing malaria, with Iran reporting 18,371 cases and four deaths, Turkey reporting 1,225 cases and no deaths, and Yemen reporting 287,584 cases and 845 deaths, the report said. However, malaria remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in nearby countries, with Somalia reporting 608,831 malaria cases and 3,491 malaria deaths, and Sudan reporting five million malaria cases and 31,975 malaria deaths in 2006.

Much of the Middle East's success in combating malaria can be attributed to improvements in malaria interventions, which include artemisinin-based combination therapies, insecticide-treated nets, indoor insecticide spraying and intermittent preventive treatment during pregnancy. WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said that malaria efforts have made a "striking turnaround" because of increased funding and improved tools but that a stronger eradication effort is needed to control the disease. Ray Chambers, U.N. special envoy on malaria, added, "We know that malaria control interventions work and we can make rapid progress towards ending malaria deaths."

The report found that malaria is endemic in 109 countries worldwide and that 92 countries have eliminated the disease. WHO also estimated that of 3.3 billion people worldwide at risk for malaria in 2006, 247 million people contracted the disease (Zaracostas, Middle East Times, 9/19).