Spread credit on eliminating Guinea worm disease
Pulitzer Prize winner Nicholas D. Kristof writes op-ed columns that appear twice each week in The New York Times. In a column titled “Jimmy Carter and George W. Bush’s Future” published 5 December 2008, Mr. Kristof writes:
“Jimmy Carter is by far the best ex-president the United States has ever had, and he underscored that again this morning by announcing that Guinea Worm cases have reached an all-time low. For those of you who have never heard of it, Guinea Worm is one of the worst parasites you can get. The worms burrow inside of you, grow to almost three feet long, are incredibly painful, and finally pop out of the skin and have to be reeled out, inch by inch, over many days. They are an ancient affliction in tropical countries, but Carter has led an effort to eradicate them.” read more of Nicholas D. Kristof’s column | K. Lee Lerner’s comment
Thanks. Very interesting — and very good photography.
Hi Brenda and Lee!
FYI .. there is a photo essay on Fighting the Scourge of the Guinea Worm at http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1707059_1524049,00.html
Pingback: guinea worm | Digg hot tags
With regard to Dracunculiasis, it is very telling where the disease lingered and it speaks volumes about how war and unrest can prevent advances in public health. In 1994, Sudan accounted for 33% of the world’s cases of Dracunculiasis. In 1995 that figure jumped to 50%. Just two years later, in 1998, 78% of the world’s cases were recorded in Sudan.