Blog | From the CEO: Chadians Proud of Guinea Worm Efforts

Paige Alexander is chief executive officer of The Carter Center.

I recently returned from a visit to the nation of Chad, the central point of our fight against Guinea worm disease. As you may know, The Carter Center has been working to eradicate this devasting parasitic disease since 1986, when cases around the world numbered almost 3.5 million a year.

Of the world’s 13 human cases of Guinea worm last year, six were found in Chad, as were most of the infections in animals. To eradicate the disease, we must eliminate it in both humans and animals. We are attacking Guinea worm on all fronts, and Chad is home to our largest country office, with 2,100 staff, 14,500 volunteers, 60 four-wheeled vehicles, 500 motorbikes, and a $22 million-a-year budget.

Meeting people in Chad reminded me of what President Jimmy Carter has always said — that the people we assist are just as intelligent, hardworking, and devoted to their families as we are. I met a single mother around my age who is teaching her children how to filter their water and control their animals to prevent transmission of the disease.

When I was speaking with the Chadian minister of health, he asked me about politics in America. Our conversation reinforced the notion that the Carter Center’s peace and health work are closely interconnected. Human rights, access to information, and the exercise of democracy are all tied to public health and prevention of diseases of poverty, including Guinea worm. Government decisions about the environment, the economy, and budgets filter down to affect the health and welfare of real people in remote villages at the end of the road.

Through both our peace and health programs, The Carter Center is firmly committed to elevating human rights, alleviating suffering, and making the world a better place to live. Seeing this all firsthand reinforces the importance of our work and how much we appreciate the support we get from people like you.