42nd Country Certified Malaria Free

The World Health Organization (WHO) today announced it had certified the countries of Azerbaijan and Tajikistan for eliminating malaria in their territories. The certification follows the two countries' sustained, century-long effort to stamp out this vaccine-preventable disease.

As of March 29, 2023, a total of 41 countries and one territory have been certified malaria-free by WHO, including 21 countries in the European Region.

"The people and governments of Azerbaijan and Tajikistan have worked long and hard to eliminate malaria," Tweeted WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

"Their accomplishment further proves that eliminating malaria is possible with the right resources and political commitment. I hope that other countries can learn from their experience."

The final decision on awarding a malaria-free certification rests with the WHO Director-General, based on a recommendation by the independent Technical Advisory Group on Malaria Elimination and Certification. For more on WHO's malaria-free certification process, visit this WHO link.

Malaria vaccines are available in certain countries in 2023. However, the United States has not approved a vaccine yet.