Gates Foundation: President Jimmy Carter, Champion of Global Health

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter has been a longtime source of inspiration, counsel, and wisdom to many in the global health community. For decades, he has led the campaign to make Guinea worm disease, also known as Dracunculiasis, the second-ever human disease (after smallpox) to be eradicated, and he has championed many other health causes, from the elimination of several other neglected tropical diseases to mental health and HIV/AIDs. By working to ensure that diseases long gone from rich countries aren’t left to ravage the world’s poorest communities, he has exemplified the push for health equity that is our foundation’s core mission. He has also shown that, with determination, political will, funding, and the power of innovation, it is possible to eliminate preventable diseases.

We asked some of President Carter’s friends and colleagues in the foundation’s orbit to reflect on the enormous impact he and his wife Rosalynn Carter have had on global health and communities around the world. Their reflections have been condensed and edited for clarity.