Major Media Highlights of Carter Center Work

New Report to Mark 10‐year MHPAEA Anniversary Finds States Failing at Parity
Mental Health Weekly

A new report released Oct. 3 to mark the 10th anniversary of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) has found that 32 states have received failing grades for statutes designed to ensure equal access to mental health and addiction treatment. Observers say they had hoped to see a lot more progress in the 10 years since the federal law passed.

Read the article >

We Must Treat Mental and Bodily Health the Same. It’s a Matter of Human Rights.
The Washington Post

Almost 10 years have passed since Congress required that insurers offering mental-health services for illnesses of the brain, such as depression or addiction, do so no more restrictively than illnesses of the body, such as diabetes or cancer. And yet most insurers today still do not comply with the law.

Read the article >

In Syria, an Ugly Peace Is Better Than More War
The New York Times

At their summit in Helsinki, Finland, in July, President Trump and President Vladimir Putin of Russia reportedly agreed to end the Syrian war and to move Iranian forces away from the Syria-Israel border. President Trump has also indicated that he is willing to accept President Bashar al-Assad’s remaining in office and is prepared to withdraw American forces from Syria. This is a start. But more is needed to end the violence in Syria.

Read the article >

Jimmy Carter’s Human Rights Message Resonates in Atlanta and Globally
Atlanta Magazine

On July 24, Jimmy Carter’s earnest roundtable discussions with around 70 human rights defenders and religious leaders from 36 countries countered the divisive tone of local election headlines. Carter spent the better portion of seven hours advocating repeatedly for the “equal treatment of all people” regardless of nationality, race, religion, or gender.

Read the article >

All 5 Living Former First Ladies Condemn Trump Border Policy That Separates Families
The Washington Post

In the span of about 24 hours, all four living former first ladies have added their voices to the chorus of public critique, calling the practice “immoral,” “disgraceful” and a “humanitarian crisis.”

Read the article >

Living First Ladies Speak Out Against Trump's Border Family Separation Policy
Time

With Rosalynn Carter adding her voice to the choir of political figures who are speaking out against the Trump administration’s zero tolerance immigration policy, all five living first ladies have now publicly come out against the controversial policy, which separates children from their parents as families try to cross the border into the U.S.

Read the article >

Nearly Eradicated in Humans, the Guinea Worm Finds New Victims: Dogs
The New York Times

For 30 years, scientists have fought to eliminate a horrifying parasite. Suddenly, it has begun infecting dogs in Chad, threatening to undo decades of progress.

Read the article >

Liberia Women Gaining Access to Information
Africa 54, Voice of America

As Liberia continues to recover from a decade-long civil war and the devastating effects of the Ebola outbreak, Liberian women are beginning to find their voices with the help of the Carter Center’s access-to-information and access-to-justice programs. VOA reporter Kim Lewis has more on this story.

Watch the video >

Liberia’s Progress in Advancing Mental Health
Africa 54, Voice of America

Liberia has gone from having just one psychiatrist for the entire country to employing almost 250 clinicians serving all 15 counties. Learn about the Carter Center’s work with the Liberian government to boost mental health for adults and children by training health workers and supporting a national mental health law. VOA reporter Kim Lewis reports from Liberia. (The story runs from 5:42 through 12:06.)

Watch the video >

Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter Receives Award During Mental Health Forum
WSB-TV

Former first lady Rosalynn Carter received an award during the 23rd annual Rosalynn Carter Georgia Mental Health Forum. During the forum, new data on children’s mental health in Georgia was released by the CDC.

Read the article and watch the video >

Carter Center Sends Team to Nicaragua to Offer Assistance in the Dialogue
Univision

The Carter Center, founded by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, sent a mission to Nicaragua to offer assistance in developing a dialogue to resolve the political crisis in the country, after more than 40 people, mostly students, died in massive protests against the government of President Daniel Ortega.

Read the article >

South Sudan Halts Spread of Crippling Guinea Worms
The New York Times

South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, appears to have stopped Guinea worm disease within its borders, the country’s health minister announced Wednesday.

Read the article >

Guinea Worm Disease Transmission Stopped in South Sudan
Associated Press

South Sudan has gone 15 months without a single reported case of Guinea worm disease, the nation's health minister said Wednesday, suggesting a major victory for global health officials trying to eliminate the painful affliction.

Read the article >

South Sudan Reaches Milestone in Eradicating Debilitating Guinea Worm
CNN

Amid war and devastation in South Sudan came glimmers of hope Wednesday as the world's newest nation announced a milestone step toward eradicating a debilitating disease.

Read the article >

Carter Center Say Kenya's Polls Were a Setback for Democracy
Associated Press
Kenya’s 2017 elections were a setback to this East African country’s democratic development, the Carter Center has said.

Read the article >

Waging Peace
Rotarian

An interview with Mary Ann Peters is a master class in the art of diplomatic responses. Asked about her most difficult assignment, the former U.S. ambassador responds that “difficulty and challenge are two sides of the same coin.”

Read the article >

Jimmy Carter's Vision for Peace
Rotarian

It’s a crisp, sunny day in late October, and school groups are touring the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library in Atlanta.

Read the article >

Fierce Optimism
Harvard Public Health

Donald Hopkins couldn’t sleep. It was sometime after 2 a.m., early October 1980, at the old Hotel Chantilly, in Geneva. He reached toward the nightstand and grabbed a pen and a ruled notepad—items that are always within reach—and pulled back the covers.

Read the article >