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The WHO said 38 countries and territories had been declared free of the disease, which was making its big comeback in the world.
"Algeria has shown the rest of Africa that malaria can be defeated by national leadership, courageous actions, sound investments and science.The rest of the continent can learn from this experience" said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa.
Malaria is a parasitic disease transmitted by the bite of anopheles female mosquitoes. The disease is both preventable and treatable.
According to the WHO, 219 million cases and over 400,000 malaria-related deaths were reported in 2017.
Three consecutive years
In order for a country to be certified free of malaria, it must prove that it has stopped the transmission of malaria in its country for at least three consecutive years. The last cases of indigenous malaria in Algeria and Argentina were reported in 2013 and 2010 respectively.
Algeria, where the malaria parasite was discovered by the French physician Charles Louis Alphonse Laveran in 1880, is only the second country in Africa to reach this event. The other is Mauritius, which was recognized as free from malaria in 1973.
The vaccine offers partial protection against malaria, and clinical trials have shown that it has prevented about four out of 10 cases of malaria, according to the WHO.
In Algeria, the success of disease control relies primarily on well-trained health personnel who diagnose and treat malaria through universal health care and provide a rapid response to epidemics, according to WHO.
"Algeria and Argentina have eliminated malaria through the unwavering commitment and perseverance of the people and leaders of both countries," said the Director-General of the World Health Organization. WHO, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in a press release.
"Their success serves as a model for other countries that are fighting this disease once and for all," he added.
Argentina is the second country in 45 years to be recognized as malaria free in the Americas, after Paraguay, which reached this status last year.
The elimination of malaria became a goal in Argentina in the 1970s. The country has tackled this problem by training health workers to spray insecticides into homes, diagnosing the disease through microscopy and intervening effectively in the community.
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