Guinea Worm Disease Drops to Just 10 Cases Worldwide

Only 10 people contracted Guinea worm disease in 2025, the lowest number ever recorded and a giant leap toward making this ancient illness the second human disease ever eradicated.

The Carter Center announced the historic milestone on the one-year anniversary of former President Jimmy Carter's passing. When Carter launched the eradication campaign in 1986, an estimated 3.5 million people across 21 African and Asian countries suffered from the waterborne parasite each year.

"President Carter always said he wanted to outlast the last Guinea worm," said Carter Center CEO Paige Alexander. "While he didn't quite get his wish, he and Mrs. Carter would be proud to know there were only 10 human cases reported in 2025."

The disease causes immense suffering. People contract it by drinking contaminated water, then roughly a year later, a meter-long worm exits through a painful blister in the skin. There's no medicine or vaccine, so prevention relies entirely on education and behavior change.

The 10 cases represent a 33% drop from 2024's total of 15. South Sudan reported two cases, while Chad and Ethiopia each had four. Angola, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, and Mali celebrated their second consecutive year with zero human cases.

The campaign has prevented more than 100 million infections among the world's most marginalized populations. Hundreds of thousands of community volunteers have been trained to provide health education and investigate rumors of infection, with national programs collectively investigating over 1 million reports in 2025 alone.

The Ripple Effect

Stopping Guinea worm means more than ending individual suffering. When someone contracts the disease, their entire family and community feel the impact as the person becomes temporarily disabled during the worm's emergence.

Chad has become a model of progress, reducing animal infections by 47% for the sixth consecutive year. Animals can carry the same parasite, so eradication requires stopping infections in both humans and domestic animals like dogs.

The World Health Organization has already certified 200 countries free of Guinea worm. Only six countries remain uncertified before this devastating disease joins smallpox as the only human illnesses ever completely eliminated from Earth.

Guinea worm is one of 21 neglected tropical diseases affecting 1.7 billion people worldwide. "Every case is a real person we know by name," said Adam Weiss, director of the Carter Center's program. "Zero is the only acceptable number, and that's why our commitment to finishing this job is unwavering."

The Carters' grandson Jason Carter summed up the family's legacy: "This campaign reflects the values that shaped my grandparents' lives — the conviction that hope, hard work, and respect for everyone can change the world."