At Work Around the World

Mauritania

With help from The Carter Center and its partners, Mauritania is on the verge of eliminating Guinea worm disease.


Building Hope

For many Mauritanians living in the Sahara, water is scarce, adding increased value to an already important resource. When it is available, the water quality is often poor and unsafe to drink, putting populations at risk for Guinea worm disease. An ancient parasite, Guinea worm has plagued the people of Africa for thousands of years, crippling its victims and preventing them from participating in daily activities. Today, thanks to assistance from The Carter Center and its many partners, Guinea worm is nearly eliminated from Mauritania and almost eradicated from the world.


Fighting Disease

Eradicating Guinea Worm Disease

Current Status: Transmission stopped, June 2004
Certification of Dracunculiasis Eradication: Pending

Since 1986, the Carter Center's Guinea Worm Eradication Program has led a worldwide coalition working to wipe out this ancient disease. When Mauritania established a national eradication program in 1995, five regions were endemic: Assaba, Gorgol, Guidimaka, Brakna, and Tagant. Within these areas, 122 villages were endemic, reporting a national total of 1,240 cases. By the following year, only three regions remained endemic to Guinea worm disease: Assaba, Gorgol, and Guidimaka.

To help traverse the deserts and reach isolated and remote areas, camels, horses, and donkeys are used to implement monthly supervision of training and case reporting. In 1996, the government of Japan agreed to provide 200 wells in the endemic areas of the country. Mauritania's hard work is paying off as the country is now on the verge of stopping transmission: Mauritania reported its last indigenous case in June 2004. If Mauritania reports 12 consecutive months of zero indigenous cases, Guinea worm transmission will have been stopped. With continued dedication and diligence in surveillance, containment, and prevention measures, Mauritania will eliminate Guinea worm once and for all, sparing whole communities from future suffering from the disease.

Updated June 2007