Carter Center Statement on the Passing of Dr. Bill Foege

Bill Foege, Jimmy Carter, and Bill Gates

Dr. Bill Foege was a pivotal figure in the history of global health and an architect of the Center’s global health program. The 2006 photo shows Foege, President Carter, and Bill Gates at the dedication of the University of Washington’s William H. Foege Genome Sciences and Bioengineering Building.

ATLANTA (Jan. 25, 2026) — The Carter Center mourns the passing of William H. Foege, M.D., M.P.H., a giant in global public health and a formative leader in the Center’s history.

Dr. Foege served as Executive Director of The Carter Center from 1986 to 1992, working with President Carter to shape its early vision and establish its reputation for rigorous, principled engagement in global health, including Guinea worm disease eradication. Building on his pivotal role in the eradication of smallpox and his leadership at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Foege brought to The Carter Center a deep commitment to disease prevention, equity, and service to the world’s most vulnerable communities. Thanks in large part to Dr. Foege’s leadership, Guinea worm disease is now poised to become the second human disease in history to be eradicated, following the eradication of smallpox.

As President Carter previously told The New York Times, “Bill Foege was a pre-eminent public health practitioner who dedicated his life to what he called science in the service of humanity. He saved the lives of millions of people around the world.” On behalf of the 3,500 Carter Center staff around the world who carry on the mission Dr. Foege started, we send our deepest condolences to his family and to the many colleagues and friends who are inspired by his leadership, humility, and moral clarity.

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