Central African Republic

Current Status: Transmission stopped, 2001
Certification of Dracunculiasis Elimination: 2007
Indigenous human cases reported in 2024: 0
Animal infections reported in 2024: 0

Guinea worm disease, or dracunculiasis, is a parasitic infection that results from drinking water contaminated with Guinea worm larvae, found inside copepods, a type of small crustacean also known as a water flea. The worms eventually emerge through painful blisters.

How it started
When the national Guinea worm elimination program began in the Central African Republic, it was unclear whether the disease was endemic or imported to the country. Specialists then determined it was probably endemic, so we set out to assist in preventing transmission of the disease.

Our Work and Methods

To assist the country in preventing transmission, we:

• Provided endemic communities with cloth water filters to strain out copepods
• Applied ABATE® larvicide, donated by BASF, to local stagnant water sources
• Supported a Guinea worm elimination consultant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Impacts
With our support, the Central African Republic stopped Guinea worm disease transmission in 2001, and in 2007, the World Health Organization certified the country as free of the disease. The country was honored for its achievement in stopping disease transmission at a special ceremony at The Carter Center in 2006.