Suriname declared Malaria-free by WHO

Suriname has achieved a significant public health victory, becoming the first Amazonian country to eliminate malaria after a 70-year battle against the mosquito-borne disease, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Monday.

This accomplishment is particularly noteworthy given that the former Dutch colony, situated on South America’s northern edge, presents an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes due to its numerous industrial and artisanal mines with stagnant pools of water.

Suriname now stands as the 46th country to be certified malaria-free by the WHO, with 12 of these nations located in the Americas.

“This certification reflects years of sustained effort, especially reaching remote areas,” stated Jarbas Barbosa, director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). “It means future generations can grow up free from this potentially deadly disease.”

Suriname’s comprehensive malaria control efforts commenced in the 1950s, focusing initially on the densely-populated coastal areas. These early interventions heavily relied on indoor spraying with pesticides like DDT and widespread antimalarial treatment. By the 1960s, the coastal regions were declared malaria-free, and attention shifted towards the country’s forested interior, home to diverse indigenous and tribal communities.

Malaria cases in Suriname peaked in 2001, reaching 15,000. However, the situation was brought under control within a few years, largely due to support from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. This funding helped strengthen disease prevention through the extensive distribution of insecticide-treated nets and the introduction of artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs).

The last locally transmitted case of Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Suriname was recorded in 2018, followed by the final Plasmodium vivax case in 2021, according to PAHO.

“Suriname’s steadfast commitment to health equity serves as an inspiration to all countries striving for a malaria-free future,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.