Eradication of the Guinea Worm
How the world brought a devastating disease to its knees
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Show Notes
How do you fight a disease with no known cure - and spreads by just drinking water? This disease is no fantasy but rather Dracunculiasis, or Guinea Worm Disease. While not necessarily fatal, it is extremely painful, and can leave the infected crippled for the rest of their life. But this being a parasite means there are no vaccines or antibiotics to fight it. In 1985, the disease infected more than 3.5 million individuals, and the global community decided it was time to eliminate the disease. And by 2024, there were just 15 cases. This is the story of the eradication of Dracunculiasis.
Sources
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-02306-8
https://www.cartercenter.org/programs/guinea-worm/
https://www.who.int/activities/eradicating-dracunculiasis
Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Guinea_Worms_in_Carter_Museum.jpg
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