October 18, 2011
Donald Hopkins, vice president of health programs at The Carter Center, shows South Sudanese children how to prevent Guinea worm disease when they visit their local water source. (Photo by L. Gubb / The Carter Center)
By Paige Rohe, assistant director of The Carter Center's Office of Public Information
The Carter Center has led the international campaign to eradicate the debilitating parasitic infection Guinea worm disease since 1986.
In London on Oct. 5, former U.S. President and Carter Center Founder Jimmy Carter addressed an audience of international journalists and partners to announce that the Carter Center-led global campaign to eradicate Guinea worm disease has entered its final stage to end this gruesome waterborne parasitic infection.
"The poorest, most isolated, most neglected, quite often, the most hopeless people, on Earth…now have new hope that their future will be free of this dreaded disease," said Carter.
Guinea worm disease—which causes agonizing pain and leaves people incapacitated for weeks, even months at a time—once was endemic to 21 nations in Africa and Asia, afflicting approximately 3.5 million people when eradication efforts began in 1986.
Today, the disease is poised to become the second human disease, after smallpox, to be wiped out and the first to be eradicated without the use of a vaccine or medical treatment.
As the last cases in an eradication campaign are the most difficult and expensive to track, treat and prevent, the United Kingdom Department for International Development will contribute approximately US$31 million, if other donors come forward, to help end Guinea worm disease transmission before 2015.
"Britain is ready to help fund the final push to eradicate this debilitating disease, and we now need others to join us in taking this historic opportunity to rid the world of Guinea worm," said United Kingdom International Development Minister Stephen O'Brien.
Other participants in the press conference included Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organization, Carter Center Vice President of Health Programs Donald Hopkins, and Laurie Lee, of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, who commented on the scale of the work achieved until now, and the importance for donors to come together and secure the funds to see this through.
"Guinea worm is a painful disease, which has horrendous consequences for sufferers in terms of their immediate health and in terms of their education and employment," Carter said. "I welcome the challenge laid down by the British government…I call on other donors to match their efforts."
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