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The Minister of Public Health, Dr. Antonio Barrios, officially submitted to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) the request for certification of the elimination of malaria in Paraguay.

In the coming weeks, PAHO experts will visit the country to check the documents of such certification, according with the announcement of the Secretary of State.

Since January 2012, autochthonous cases of malaria have not been reported and the goal is to get the certification of the end of disease spread.

That same year, Paraguay received the award “Malaria Champion of the Americas”, granted by PAHO/WHO, jointly with George Washington University, placing Paraguay as one of the few countries of the region.

Dr. Carlos Castillo Solorzano, PAHO representative in Paraguay, had already said in March this year that the country was ready for the certification process.

This is possible through the work carried out by ministry authorities, “seneperos” and 5.000 guards that perform the epidemiological monitoring nationwide, as stated by this expert.