Health Programs

Stopping Guinea Worm Transmission:  Central African Republic

Central African Republic was one of four countries recognized Nov. 15, 2006, during a special ceremony at The Carter Center for stopping Guinea worm transmission for a 12-month period.  Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter presented awards to Central African Republic, Benin, Mauritania, and Uganda.

Central African Republic

The World Health Organization declared Central African Republic to be endemic for Guinea worm disease in 1996, and announced it had stopped transmission of the disease from its endemic villages in 2001.

The Central African Republic Guinea Worm Eradication Program

Making an ancient disease history

Guinea worm disease, or the "fiery serpent," as it is has been called since Biblical times, has been around for centuries. Contracted by drinking stagnant water, a Guinea worm is a parasite that will grow for up to a year inside a human's abdomen—sometimes becoming as long as three feet.

After a year, the worm slowly emerges through an agonizingly painful blister in the skin. Victims of this infection aarere often incapacitated for an average of two-and-one-half months. When sufferers immerse their wounds in water, seeking relief from the burning sensation caused by the emerging worm, they unknowingly perpetuate the vicious cycle of infection and transmission of the disease to others. 

Villagers may suffer food shortages when they are unable to work, and children may be unable to attend school. Yet there is great hope in the Central African Republic since the disease was eliminated from the country in 2001.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recognized Central African Republic in 1996 as a country with endemic Guinea worm disease, and declared that transmission of Guinea worm disease was stopped in Central African Republic in 2001.

The Central African Republic's efforts are part of a larger movement, spearheaded by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter to make Guinea worm the next infectious disease eradicated from the world and the first to be overcome without a vaccine or treatment.

Today, the Carter Center's Guinea Worm Eradication Program is fighting the last fraction of 1 percent of this crippling scourge.  It is currently estimated that there are approximately 10,600 cases worldwide*, as opposed to the 3.5 million cases when the program began.  With continued international support, we can, and will, make Guinea worm disease history.

Highlights on the campaign to eradicate Guinea worm in Central African Republic and beyond:

• Central African Republic was recognized by the World Health Organization as having eliminated Guinea worm disease in 2001.
• Guinea worm is a parasitic infection transmitted through stagnant drinking water so old it has been mentioned in ancient Egyptian medical texts.
• It is a very painful and debilitating disease endemic to the poorest and most forgotten communities of the world.
• Today, the Carter Center's Guinea Worm Eradication Program is fighting the last fraction of 1 percent of this crippling scourge. 
• The strategy for eradication consists of several components driven by health education—such as using simple cloth water filters and treating stagnant water sources with safe, monthly treatments ABATE® larvicide.
• Central African Republic's efforts are part of a larger movement, spear-headed by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter to make Guinea worm the next infectious disease eradicated from the world and the first to be overcome without a vaccine or treatment.
• Guinea worm disease transmission has been stopped in 11 of the 20 endemic countries since the campaign began in 1986.
• It is currently estimated that there are approximately 10,600 cases worldwide*, as opposed to the 3.5 million cases when the program began. 
• Families, communities, and even the Central African Republic's national economy will benefit from more people returning to work and more children able to attend school.

The Carter Center is a not-for-profit organization founded by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, and works to wage peace, fight disease, and build hope around the world.