Togo

Current status: Transmission stopped, December 2006
Certification of Dracunculiasis Elimination: 2011

How It Began

In 1992, Togo’s national Guinea Worm Eradication Program began its first search for cases of Guinea worm disease and found 8,179 cases of infection in 584 villages. The Carter Center became involved in 2002, setting up 17 Guinea worm care centers.

Our Work and Methods

• At the 17 care centers, patients received basic medical attention for their wounds and education on how to prevent the spread of the disease.
• In partnership with U.S. Peace Corps volunteers, the program conducted multiple educational outreach programs called “Worm Weeks,” using village-based health workers and supervisors to share information. 

Impacts

• In December 2006, the program declared its last case in Togo.

The project ended in 2006.

How It Started

The Carter Center began assisting Togo with agricultural development in 1993 as part of an overarching initiative to build healthier lives in the country.

Our Work and Methods

From 1993 to 1998, the Carter Center’s Agriculture Program, in partnership with the Sasakawa Africa Association, helped Togolese farmers improve food security. The program was part of a larger effort that helped more than 8 million small-scale sub-Saharan African farmers grow more food and enjoy better nutrition and health.

• Farmers in Togo received small loans for fertilizers and seeds to grow production test plots.
• The project identified cost-effective local markets for their surplus crops.
• Farmers learned about post-harvest technologies, including methods for processing and storing, and were encouraged to join cooperative efforts with farmers in neighboring counties.

Impacts

• After successful harvests that usually doubled or tripled crop yields, participating farmers taught their neighbors about the new technologies, creating a ripple effect to stimulate food self-sufficiency in the nation.
• Selling their surplus crops in local markets allowed farmers to increase their profit margins significantly.
• Over the project’s five years, 15 village-based savings and loan groups were established, helping more than 2,000 farmers build financial power and develop their farms.

This project ended in 1998.