There were the Camp David accords, the Nobel Peace Prize, and many other successes during his presidency. But most people agree that former president Jimmy Carter's greatest period has been the 35 years of his post-presidency.
This week, Carter proudly announced that only two cases of the dreaded Guinea Worm exist in the world; and if we get through this year without any new cases, this scourge can be considered eliminated. What an achievement for the Carter Center: from 3,000,000 cases in 1980 to two cases today!!
There is no cure and no treatment except the patient extraction of the worms by hand when they begin to emerge from sores. But there is a very simple preventive measure, requiring nothing but filtration of drinking water to remove the larvae from which the worms grow.
It would be simple for our educated society with mass communications and organized public health programs. But in rural Africa it required educating people in over 30,000 individual villages and supplying the filters. This is one of many things the Carter Center has done.
President Carter says his wish is to outlive this disease. Even at 91 and with recent treatment for cancer (now in remission), it looks like he might get that wish.
Ralph
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment