Eradication of dracunculiasis

Logarithmic scale of reported Guinea Worm Cases 1989–2022

Eradication of dracunculiasis is an ongoing program. Dracunculiasis, or Guinea worm disease, is an infection by the Guinea worm.[1] In 1986, there were an estimated 3.5 million cases of Guinea worm in 20 endemic nations in Asia and Africa.[2] Ghana alone reported 180 000 cases in 1989. The number of cases has since been reduced by more than 99.999% to 14 in 2023[3][4] in six remaining endemic states: South Sudan, Chad, Mali, Ethiopia, Angola, and Central African Republic.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is the international body that certifies whether a disease has been eliminated from a country or eradicated from the world.[5] The Carter Center, a nongovernmental, not-for-profit organization founded by former U.S. president Jimmy Carter, also reports the status of the Guinea worm eradication program by country.[6]

As of 2024, the WHO goal for eradication in humans and animals is the year 2030. Previously, 1991, 2009, 2015, and 2020 were set as target years,[7] but eradicating dracunculiasis has proven to be much harder than originally thought due to the discovery in the mid-2010s that the disease has non-human animal hosts.[8][9][10]

  1. ^ "Dracunculiasis (guinea-worm disease) Fact sheet N°359 (Revised)". World Health Organization. March 2014. Archived from the original on 18 March 2014. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
  2. ^ "Guinea Worm Eradication Program". Carter Center. Archived from the original on 2013-10-30. Retrieved 2011-03-01.
  3. ^ "Guinea Worm Wrap-Up #306" (PDF). The Carter Center. 2024-02-26. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
  4. ^ "Update: 14 Human Cases of Guinea Worm Reported in 2023 – 13 Human Cases of Guinea Worm Reported in 2023 – Remaining at the Lowest Level Since the Eradication Campaign Began". Carter Center. 2024-01-25. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  5. ^ "WHO certifies seven more countries as free of guinea-worm disease". World Health Organization. Archived from the original on 2010-05-19. Retrieved 2010-05-14.
  6. ^ "Activities by Country – Guinea Worm Eradication Program". Carter Center. Archived from the original on 2009-05-19. Retrieved 2010-03-16.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference npr was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference carter2012 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference cartercenter.org was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference wrapup235 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).