In 1980, the world successfully eradicated smallpox using vaccines.
Today, we're on the verge of eliminating a second disease -- Guinea worm -- because of the efforts of Jimmy Carter and the Carter Center.
In 1980 there were 36,000 cases of Guinea worm disease. In 2023, there were 14.
#water #dracunculiasis #guineaworm #jimmycarter
https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/376790/WER9920-249-269.pdf?sequence=1
Nice Time: Jimmy Carter Lives To Defeat The Guinea Worm! https://www.wonkette.com/p/nice-time-jimmy-carter-lives-to-defeat
#JimmyCarter #GuineaWorm #Vaccines #Science #Virology
@genecowan Some very good news here. Thanks to Jimmy Carter #jimmycarter and to all the healthcare workers who have worked so diligently. #guineaworm #healthcare
@adapalmer
According to Wikipedia there's been one confirmed case in Chad now in 2024.
"As of June 2024, there has been only 1 confirmed human case of guinea worm, in Chad, but hundreds of cases continue to be reported in animals.[84]"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eradication_of_dracunculiasis
Still, this is amazing. Makes me so happy.
Polio eradication is suffering some setbacks this year, though still very very low case counts compared to 40-50 years ago.
If eliminated, it would be an amazing achievement.
"Globally, Guinea worm has declined from an estimated 3.56 million cases across 20 countries in 1986 to just 14 human cases in 5 countries in 2023 — mostly through bottom-up, low-technology efforts similar to those in South Sudan. What’s more, this has been achieved despite the lack of a vaccine or drug treatment for the parasite."
And in the first half of 2023, #GuineaWorm disease is under active surveillance in 7 countries. So far, 2 cases have been reported. Not two thousand, not two hundred; TWO.
The Carter Center’s mission is to “wage peace, fight disease, build hope.” And, perhaps, to serve as an example.
Thank you, #PresidentCarter #JimmyCarter
(4/end)
“Just stay out of the water when the worm is emerging” may sound simple, but how do you ensure that people in pain can get the water they need? How do you help people filter their drinking water?
In 1986, there were an estimated 3.5 million cases in 20 countries across Africa and into Pakistan and India. By 1995, that had dropped to under 130K. In 2006, about 25,000. (3/4)
#JimmyCarter
#GuineaWorm
Its month-long emergence is intensely painful; infections associated with the wound it creates are fatal 1% of the time.
In the 1980s, there were no drugs, no vaccines, no treatments for #GuineaWorm disease. There still aren’t. But #JimmyCarter fostered efforts around the world for prevention: helping communities where the disease was endemic find ways to interrupt the life cycle of the parasite. (2/x)
Guinea worm: Near-eradication of a debilitating parasitic disease is a pillar of Carter's legacy
https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/22/health/jimmy-carter-guinea-worm/index.html
While all the good works accomplished by #JimmyCarter are memorable, Perhaps the least appreciated is the #CarterCenter effort to eliminate the #TropicalDisease of #GuineaWorm. It’s within reach of eradication, and it’s really due to his and #RosalynnCarter efforts.
