DILI, 27 january 2025 (TATOLI) – The Coordinator of the Malaria Program at the Ministry of Health, Raul Sarmento, said that Timor-Leste is in the process of leading up to certification as a malaria-free country.
“The team of the World Health Organization (WHO) has already visited Timor-Leste twice to assess the country’s progress in eradicating the disease. This year, the team will return for another inspection. We deserve to be certified as a malaria-free country,” Sarmento told Tatoli, in Dili.
The World Health Organization (WHO) evaluates countries for malaria-free certification based on three consecutive years of zero indigenous cases. The WHO also evaluates a country’s surveillance system and its ability to prevent the disease from returning.
The final evaluation for malaria-free certification is conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General. The evaluation is based on a recommendation from the Technical Advisory Group on Malaria Elimination and Certification (TAG-MEC).
Previously, Arvind Mathur, WHO Representative to Timor-Leste said that as a trusted and long-standing partner of Ministry of Health and people of Timor-Leste, WHO Timor-Leste is committed to extend evidence based practical and actionable technical assistance and look to work collaboratively with partners, government, and people of Timor-Leste to achieve Malaria Elimination in very near future.
Evaluation process
- Request certification: A country submits a formal request to the WHO Director-General
- Field assessments: Independent consultants assess the country in the field
- Expert reviews: Experts review the country’s data
- Decision: The WHO Director-General makes the final decision based on the expert reviews
Certification criteria
- The country has had zero indigenous cases for at least three years in a row
- The country has a surveillance system that can detect and respond to any malaria cases
- The country has a program to prevent the disease from returning
- The country has credible evidence that the chain of transmission has been interrupted
Journalist: Jesuína Xavier
Editor: Maria Auxiliadora
Translator: Camilio de Sousa