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Guinea worm cases continued to decline in 2014
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Only 126 cases of Guinea worm were reported worldwide last year, representing a 15% reduction from the 148 cases reported in 2013, according to the Carter Center.
“The number of cases of Guinea worm disease continued decreasing in 2014, bringing Guinea worm eradication closer to the finish line,” former President Jimmy Carter, founder of the Carter Center, said in a press release. “We believe eradication of Guinea worm disease is very possible in the next few years, but success will require the strong commitment and focus of the four remaining endemic countries and the many international partners in this public health initiative.”
The Carter Center started the international campaign to eradicate Guinea worm in 1986. There were an estimated 3.5 million cases annually in Africa and Asia at that time. In 1991, there was endemic transmission of Guinea worm disease in 23,735 villages in 21 African and Asian countries. By the end of 2014, there were 30 endemic villages in four African countries.
Seventy cases of Guinea worm were reported in South Sudan last year. This was a 38% reduction compared with 2013, despite political unrest and an isolated outbreak that accounted for most of the 2014 cases.
“We’ve seen similar small outbreaks like this just before the end of transmission in other countries, such as Ghana, Nigeria, and Pakistan, and each of these countries has since successfully wiped out Guinea worm disease,” Donald R. Hopkins, MD, MPH, vice president for health programs at the Carter Center, said in the release.
In Ethiopia, the Gambella region is the only endemic area, but with only three reported cases in 2014, it is in line to stop transmission of Guinea worm by the end of this year. In Mali, there were 40 cases of Guinea worm; in Chad, there were 13 cases.
“Recognizing that the final cases of any eradication campaign are the most challenging and most expensive to eliminate, the potential for disease eradication to permanently improve quality of life worldwide is tremendous,” Hopkins said.