JOHANNESBURG, Safar 06, 1437, November 18, 2015, SPA -- An international health expert says Swaziland could eliminate malaria by the end of 2016 or in early 2017, likely making it the first mainland country in sub-Saharan Africa to get rid of the deadly disease,AP reported. Richard Feachem, director of the Global Health Group at the University of California in San Francisco, said Tuesday that Namibia, Botswana and South Africa are also making "excellent progress" toward eliminating malaria. Feachem, whose group has worked to curb malaria, told The Associated Press by telephone from Swaziland that the small mountain kingdom would have to have zero cases for three years and undergo a U.N. World Health Organization audit to certify the disease has been eliminated within its borders. He said the Indian Ocean nations of Mauritius and the Seychelles are malaria-free. --SPA 15:08 LOCAL TIME 12:08 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w