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Malaria was once endemic across much of the Caribbean. This map shows how much progress has been made: the islands in green are all malaria-free.

Some of these islands were certified by the WHO to have eliminated the disease decades ago. This requires, among other things, zero indigenous cases for three consecutive years. The list includes Grenada and Saint Lucia in 1962, Trinidad and Tobago in 1965, Dominica and Jamaica in 1966, and Cuba in 1973.

Others are on the WHO’s list of countries where malaria never existed, and those where it disappeared without a deliberate anti-malaria campaign.

At the center, you can see Haiti and the Dominican Republic, which share the island of Hispaniola. They are the Caribbean’s last island countries with endemic malaria.

The Dominican Republic is much closer to elimination — it reported around 1,200 locally acquired cases in 2024, compared with almost 38,600 in Haiti. But its success depends on Haiti’s too, because malaria doesn’t stop at the border. This is why malaria eradication needs coordinated efforts across countries.

Read more about the history of malaria, and how the world can continue to make progress against it