At the 79th World Health Assembly, Timor-Leste received WHO certification for the elimination of malaria
On May 19th, 2026, during the 79th World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, Timor-Leste officially received the World Health Organisation (WHO) certificate recognising Timor-Leste as a malaria-free country. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus presented the certificate to Vice Minister of Health José dos Reis Magno. 
The WHO officially announced international recognition on July 24th, 2025, when Timor-Leste was certified as a malaria-free country, following more than two decades of national efforts to eliminate one of the deadliest and most persistent tropical diseases.
In his opening address at the World Health Assembly, the WHO Director-General singled out Timor-Leste as one of the countries internationally recognised for its progress in eliminating infectious diseases.
The WHO certification confirms that Timor-Leste has successfully interrupted local malaria transmission for at least three consecutive years, thereby meeting the organisation's technical criteria.
For decades, malaria has been one of the greatest public health challenges in Timor-Leste. The international recognition now formally acknowledged at the World Health Assembly reflects the work carried out by the Government, through the Ministry of Health, in cooperation with WHO, international partners, health professionals, and local communities throughout the country.
Upon receiving official recognition from the WHO, Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão said, “This victory belongs to our tireless health workers and to every family that committed to prevention. For more than 20 years, we have fought hamlet by hamlet, family by family. This proves that not even the deadliest diseases can withstand the determination of the Timorese.”
Health Minister Élia António de Araújo dos Reis Amaral also emphasised that “the elimination of malaria honours every life lost, and every life now protected,” adding that the country must now sustain this achievement “through continuous vigilance and community action.”
The WHO’s recognition was preceded by several assessment missions conducted between 2023 and 2025, which confirmed the absence of local transmission of the disease and the robustness of the national epidemiological surveillance system.
While attending the World Health Assembly, the national delegation also took part in the “Walk the Talk” initiative, organised by WHO to encourage healthy lifestyles and promote health for all.
The World Health Assembly, held from May 18th to 23rd, 2026, is the WHO’s principal decision-making body, bringing Member States together annually to set global health priorities and policies.
