99.99% reduction in human cases of Guinea worm disease in 2024

It is estimated that 3.5 million human cases of Guinea worm (Dracunculus medinensis) per year were reported in 21 countries across Africa and Asia when the Carter Center assumed control of the global programme to eradicate the parasite in 1986. In 2024, one of the lowest annual totals of human cases was reported, with 14 unconfirmed cases, following 13 cases in 2022. Of these, Chad accounted for eight cases, followed by South Sudan with six cases, and Angola, Cameroon, Mali, and Ethiopia reported zero cases. It should be noted that several 2024 samples are awaiting confirmation, and thus, the reported figures remain provisional. The final figures are expected to be confirmed by the respective countries at the annual global eradication meeting in April, providing a definitive update on the status of the disease. Guinea worm is poised to become the second human disease in history to be eradicated, after smallpox, as well as the first parasitic disease and the first without a drug or vaccine. The WHO has certified 200 countries free of Guinea worm; the remaining six have yet to be certified. The ‘Global Guinea Worm Eradication Campaign’ is overseen by the Carter Center, which collaborates closely with national ministries of health and a range of international institutions, including the WHO, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), UNICEF, and other private partners.