Eradicating Guinea Worm Disease
In 1986, The Carter Center launched a global campaign to eradicate Guinea worm disease, a painful parasitic disease that at the time affected an estimated 3.5 million people worldwide. The disease is transmitted through the consumption of water contaminated with the parasite’s larvae, which can grow into three-foot-long worms that cause severe pain and serious complications.
By focusing on promoting access to safe drinking water and breaking the chain of parasite transmission, The Carter Center has been effective in reducing cases. The results of these efforts have been remarkable, and by 2022, only 13 cases of the disease had been reported worldwide.