Cape Verde, a small island nation off the coast of West Africa, has taken years to reach this point by strengthening its health systems and increasing access to diagnosis and treatment of all cases.

Cape Verde’s plan for malaria control has also ensured free care and diagnostic services for international travellers and migrants, with the aim of stemming the tide of cases imported from mainland Africa.

Dr Dorothy Achu Fosah, from the WHO Africa office, added that her organisation was “excited and pleased” with the results and the fact that malaria was “kicked out” from the country.

Health experts say Cape Verde’s achievement sets a big example for other small countries on the continent, showing that containment and elimination policies can work.

Malaria was once detected on all of Cape Verde’s nine inhabited islands, but in recent years could only be found on one, Sáo Tiago - where the final efforts were concentrated.

Cape Verde’s success “gives us hope that with existing tools, as well as new ones including vaccines, we can dare to dream of a malaria-free world”, WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

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