Thailand is one of 8 new countries which have been recently identified by WHO as having the potential to eliminate malaria by 2025. In 1949, malaria was the leading cause of mortality in Thailand, resulting in 38 046 deaths a year. Despite resurgences
of multidrug-resistant malaria over the decades, Thailand only recorded 13 deaths in 2019. Its success in bringing down cases of indigenous malaria – that is, the transmission of malaria within its own territory – has been notable,
so much so that the country recently verified 37 provinces as malaria-free.
With this steady progress Thailand has met the criteria for inclusion in WHO’s E-2025 initiative, a programme for countries that are on the cusp of eliminating malaria.
In order to be eligible for the E-2025, countries needed to meet a few key conditions.
Firstly, a country must have set a national goal for malaria…
