Even after his passing, President Jimmy Carter’s legacy as a do-gooder continues to reach new milestones.
The late president’s longtime goal of eradicating Guinea worm disease is now closer to being realized than ever before, with only 14 human cases reported in 2024 juxtaposed to an estimated 3.5 million cases when his work began almost 40 years ago.
In 1986, Carter took charge of the global Guinea Worm Eradication Program, in line with the Carter Center’s goal of “eradication, elimination and control of neglected tropical diseases.” Since then, guinea worm cases have been reduced by 99.99% and more than 100 million cases were prevented.
Guinea worm is a parasitic disease transmitted through contaminated drinking water, according to the World Health Organization. About a year into infection, the disease typically manifests as a blister on the foot, followed by the emergence of one or more worms and a burning feeling. The burning feeling urges those infected to dip their foot into a body of water, thus allowing the worm to release larvae into the water, further contaminating it.
“A single worm can cause multiple new cases the following year, and we’re actively preventing outbreaks in some of the most challenging and complex environments,” Dr. Kashef Ijaz, vice president of health programs for the Carter Center, said in a news release.
2022 saw the lowest number of cases since the program began, with only 13 human infections reported. Eight of the 14 cases that occurred last year happened in Chad, and the rest were in South Sudan.
Cases of Guinea worm also decreased among animal populations, and countries reported a 26% decline overall from 2023; 885 animal cases were reported in 2023 and 654 were reported in 2024. The Carter Center cites its partners, which include the WHO and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the countries themselves for this drastic shift over the years.
“The low provisional numbers show that communities’ unwavering commitment to reaching zero, and interventions to reduce human suffering are working,” Adam Weiss, director of the Carter Center’s Guinea Worm Eradication Program, said in a news release.
Due to the work of President Carter and everyone who assisted with the Guinea Worm Eradication Program, guinea worm is poised to be the second eradicated disease in human history after smallpox. It will also be the first parasitic disease to be eradicated and the first without medicine or a vaccine.
“Local mobilization and community-based behavioral change are key drivers of success,” the Carter Center said in a news release.
When the Carter Center began its goal of eradicating Guinea worm, 21 countries in Africa and Asia were suffering from cases every year. Today, only six countries have not been certified free of the disease.
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