Lessons for Kenya, sub-Saharan Africa from malaria-free Belize

Steven Opondo Head of Specialty Medicines and Programs, Novartis, sub-Saharan Africa. [Edward Kiplimo,Standard]

Malaria can be eliminated. Countries are declared malaria-free by the World Health Organisation (WHO) after reporting zero indigenous cases for three consecutive years at least.

On June 21, 2023, Belize, a small tropical Central American country, was declared malaria-free by the WHO, becoming the 43rd country to achieve that status since 1955. In Africa, only three countries have achieved a similar outcome: Mauritius in 1973, La Reunion in 1979 and Algeria in 2019.