2024 saw nine countries eliminate various diseases.
“These are great accomplishments that have been achieved with very limited means,” says Albis Gabrielli, who works for the World Health Organization’s global neglected tropical disease program.
In 2024, Cape Verde and Egypt officially became malaria-free, while Brazil and Timor Leste eradicated lymphatic filariasis. Jordan became the first ever nation to be certified as leprosy-free, and Chad was able to eliminate one form of human African trypanosomiasis. In the meantime, Pakistan, Vietnam, and India eradicated trachoma. Even when they don’t reach a global scale, eradicating infectious diseases is a huge accomplishment for these nations and shows great dedication and mobilization of their healthcare workers and systems. Many of these countries have been attempting to eradicate certain diseases for over a decade, such as Pakistan, which has been trying to wipe out trachoma for over 20 years. The hope is that 2025 will make the list of eradicated infectious diseases by country even longer.
