After nearly a century-long battle, Georgia has officially been certified as malaria-free by the World Health Organization (WHO). With this certification, Georgia joins 45 other countries and one territory that have reached this milestone, underscoring the global progress towards malaria elimination.
Malaria has been a persistent challenge in Georgia for centuries. Before the 20th century, at least three species of the malaria parasite — Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium malariae and Plasmodium vivax — were endemic in the region. In the 1920s, an estimated 30 per cent6 of Georgia's population suffered from malaria, with the P vivax species being particularly prevalent.
Turkey now remains the only country in the WHO European Region yet to be certified as malaria-free.
Today we congratulate the people of Georgia for their decades of targeted and sustained actions to eliminate malaria, one of the world’s leading killers. Georgia’s commitment and success gives us hope that a malaria-free world is possibleTedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general
Hans Henri P Kluge, WHO’s regional director for Europe, highlighted the broader significance of the achievement, noting that it brings the European region one step closer to being the first malaria-free region globally. “This success was made possible thanks to sustained investment, the dedication of the health workforce, and targeted efforts in prevention, early detection and effective treatment of all malaria cases,” Kluge added.
The WHO’s certification process requires a country to demonstrate, beyond reasonable doubt, that the transmission of indigenous malaria has been interrupted nationwide for at least three consecutive years.
Georgia’s Minister of Health, Mikheil Sarjveladze, emphasised the importance of the certification as a reflection of the sustainability of Georgia’s healthcare system. “This success means that Georgia can address important health challenges with even greater confidence,” he said.
The country’s first systematic malaria control efforts began in the early 1900s, and by 1940, large-scale mosquito control initiatives significantly reduced malaria cases. However, the disruption caused by World War II led to a resurgence of the disease due to population movements and overstretched healthcare services.
By the mid-20th century, Georgia had ramped up its anti-malaria efforts with the introduction of insecticide spraying, new medicines, and improved surveillance. These efforts led to the interruption of transmission of P falciparum by 1953, P malariae by 1960 and P vivax by 1970, with the country remaining malaria-free for 25 years.
However, malaria reemerged in Georgia in 2002, with 474 reported cases. This prompted renewed efforts, and in 2005, Georgia, alongside nine other countries in the WHO European Region, signed the Tashkent Declaration, reaffirming its commitment to malaria elimination.
The intensified efforts that followed saw a sharp reduction in malaria cases, with Georgia reporting zero indigenous cases by 2009. By 2015, all 53 countries in the WHO European Region, including Georgia, had reported no indigenous cases of malaria.
Georgia’s success has been further solidified by its participation in the Ashgabat Statement, signed in 2017, which commits to maintaining a malaria-free status. The country’s healthcare system, characterised by strong public-private cooperation and political commitment, was highlighted during the certification process in 2024 as an important factor in ensuring the sustainability of the achievement.