Jimmy Carter and BASF eradicate Guinea worm

Guinea worm disease is contracted through the consumption of drinking water that is contaminated with microscopic water fleas carrying infective larvae. The debilitating effects of Guinea worm disease include infections, ulcers and arthritis. These conditions prevent those who are infected from performing functions such as farming and caring for their children, literally halting community productivity.

According to The Carter Center, through tireless public health efforts, Guinea worm is set to become only the second disease in human history after smallpox and the first parasitic disease to be eliminated from the world. It will be the first disease to be eradicated without the use of a vaccine or medical treatment. Worldwide cases of Guinea worm disease have already been reduced by more than 99 percent. In 1986, the disease afflicted an estimated 3.5 million people a year in 20 countries across Africa and Asia. In 2010, there were fewer than 1,800 cases reported in four African countries.Further, the World Bank estimates that the return on investment in Guinea worm eradication will be nearly 29 percent per year once the disease is completely eliminated.

http://www.publichealth.basf.com

http://www.cartercenter.org/index.html

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• BASF
• Jimmy Carter
• Guinea worm
• Africa
• World Bank