Photo by Jaime Gusmao on Unsplash (illustrative)
On 24 July 2025, the World Health Organization certified Timor-Leste as malaria-free. The Southeast Asian island nation recorded more than 223,000 clinically diagnosed cases in 2006, and has since stopped local transmission entirely.
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Key facts
Timor-Leste had more than 223,000 clinically diagnosed malaria cases in 2006.
No malaria deaths have been reported in the country since 2015.
It is the third country in the WHO South-East Asia Region to be certified, after Maldives (2015) and Sri Lanka (2016).
With Timor-Leste, 47 countries and one territory had been certified malaria-free by WHO.
Why it matters
Timor-Leste's success came from basics done well: free bed nets, rapid tests, effective medicines, and a health system designed so care is within about an hour's walk. It is a practical model for other countries with limited budgets.
Worth noting
The national malaria programme was supported for years by the Global Fund and other partners. Keeping the country malaria-free will depend on continued surveillance and screening of imported cases.
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