GENEVA, Switzerland – It is with great sadness that WHO’s Global Neglected Tropical Diseases Programme marks the news of president James Earl ‘Jimmy’ Carter’s death.
As a tireless advocate for health and social justice, president Carter was a compassionate and committed voice for impoverished communities worldwide. His unwavering dedication to combating neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) leaves an unparalleled legacy in global health, saving millions from debilitating illnesses.
The nongovernmental, not-for-profit organization he founded in 1982, The Carter Center, has been at the forefront of efforts to eliminate several neglected tropical diseases, providing invaluable funding, technical knowledge, support and advice to institutions, governments and field workers the world over.
President Carter’s dedication to eradicating Guinea worm disease (dracunculiasis) was exemplary. Under his championship cases dropped from 3.5 million in the mid-1980s to just eleven so far in 2024. Personally engaging in fundraising, visiting endemic countries, and leveraging his political influence, he ensured this disease remained a global priority, culminating in the 2004 World Health Assembly’s ‘Geneva Declaration on Guinea Worm Eradication’ and the 2022 ‘Abu Dhabi Declaration on the Eradication of Guinea Worm Disease’.
Beyond Guinea worm disease, he championed WHO’s African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control, supported trachoma elimination programs across sub-Saharan Africa, and lent his influence to mass drug administration campaigns for schistosomiasis. His involvement in the International Task Force for Disease Eradication helped set the global agenda for eliminating lymphatic filariasis and other NTDs.
President Carter was a passionate and pragmatic advocate, ensuring NTDs received the attention they deserved. WHO’s Global Neglected Tropical Diseases Programme honors his extraordinary life and extends heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and the global health community.
