The Carter Center, together with countries and partners, applauds the passage today of the “Accelerating the Eradication of Dracunculiasis (Guinea worm disease) Resolution” during the 78th World Health Assembly. The renewed global commitment further ensures that this debilitating disease remains on track to be the second human disease, after smallpox, to be eradicated.
In a statement, the Carter Centre noted that the passage of the resolution was a significant milestone for the global Guinea worm eradication campaign because it puts a global spotlight on a set of critical actions to accelerate and finalize eradication efforts with the support of the global community.
Speaking on the resolution, the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said, “The passage of the Guinea worm resolution by the World Health Assembly, with support from Chad and other Member States, is a fitting homage to the hard work and commitment of the late President Jimmy Carter.
“WHO was proud to work with President Carter and The Carter Center, along with governments and communities around the world, in the shared effort to eradicate this ancient disease.”
The global campaign to eradicate Guinea worm has reduced the water-borne parasite by more than 99.99% and averted more than 100 million cases among the world’s most marginalized and neglected populations. When The Carter Center assumed leadership of the campaign in 1986, an estimated 3.5 million human cases occurred annually in 21 countries in Africa and Asia. In 2024, just 15 human cases were reported in two countries and only one case has been identified so far this year.
Chad, one of the world’s few remaining endemic countries, led a global effort on the resolution. It was jointly sponsored by a number of member states, including Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, China, Japan, Russia, South Sudan, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.
“I can speak from experience—no country wants to break transmission only to see the disease return and be forced to rebuild a complex, community-based program. Alongside the co-sponsoring countries, I couldn’t be more proud. Today’s resolution reaffirms the world’s commitment to eradicating this devastating disease. Each case is a person, and one case is one too many—zero is the only acceptable goal,” said Dr. Abdelmadjid Abderahim Mahamat, Chad Minister of Public Health and Prevention.
From the floor of the Palais des Nations where the annual WHA forum takes place, Carter Center Guinea Worm Eradication Program Director AdamWeiss acknowledged the historic moment with a formal statement of support. Carter CEO Paige Alexander led a six-person Carter Center WHA delegation. In 2023, the Center was admitted into official relations with WHO as a non-State actor.
“Eradicating Guinea worm disease was a deeply personal mission for my grandparents,” said Jason Carter, board chair of The Carter Center and eldest grandson of President and Mrs. Carter. “They witnessed firsthand the immense pain Guinea worm causes. They knew this work could change millions of lives— and it has. The Carter Center is committed to finishing the job and we won’t back down until we reach zero.”
In addition to the cosponsors, the following countries delivered messages of support during the WHA deliberations: the Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Ghana, and South Korea. The final cases of any eradication program are the most challenging, requiring persistence, ingenuity, and resources to operate in difficult, remote, and often insecure areas.
The Carter Center leads the global campaign and works closely with national ministries of health, the WHO, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF, and many other vital partners. It also provides technical and financial assistance to national Guinea worm programs to help interrupt transmission of the disease.
