In a major boost to worldwide public health efforts, the World Health Organization (WHO) certified Georgia, Suriname, and Timor-Leste as malaria-free in 2025, raising the global total to 47 countries and one territory.
Key Achievements
- Suriname (certified June 2025): First in the Amazon region to eliminate malaria.
- Timor-Leste (July 2025): Reduced cases from over 223,000 in 2006 to zero indigenous transmissions since 2021.
- Georgia (January 2025): Reclaimed elimination status after interruptions.
These milestones, detailed in the WHO's World Malaria Report 2025, showcase the power of sustained interventions like vector control, surveillance, and community engagement.
Parallel progress continues on environmental health: Negotiations for a global legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution advanced through multiple sessions in 2025, building on the 2022 UN mandate. While the August INC-5.2 talks in Geneva did not finalize the treaty due to divisions over production caps and financing, intersessional work persists toward a comprehensive agreement addressing the full plastics lifecycle.
These developments highlight humanity's capacity for collective action—eradicating diseases and tackling pollution for a healthier planet.
