Jimmy Carter vs. guinea worm: Sudan is last battle

[cal04]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101225/ap_on_he_me/af_sudan_carter_s_last_worm

Lily pads and purple flowers dot one corner of the watering hole. Bright green algae covers another. Two women collect water in plastic jugs while a cattle herder bathes nearby.

Samuel Makoy is not interested in the bucolic scenery, though. He has an epidemic to quash.

Makoy points out to the women the fingernail-length worm-like creatures whose tails flick back and forth. Then a pond-side health lesson begins on a spaghetti-like worm that has haunted humans for centuries.

This fight against the guinea worm is a battle former U.S. President Jimmy Carter has waged for more than two decades in some of the poorest countries on earth. It is a battle he's almost won.

[kath]

1. The Carter Center is a great organization! We've been donating to them for the past 5-10 years.

If you've got a little to spare, think of adding them to your charity list.
They do awesome work. They are a pioneer in the field of election observation (appallingly, US elections don't even come CLOSE to meeting their standards).
Their Peace Programs include: Democracy Program, Human Rights Program, Conflict Resolution Program, Americas Program, China Program.

Their health programs include: Guinea worm eradication, trachoma control, river blindness, schistosomiasis control, lymphatic filariasis elimination, Ethiopia public health training initiative, agriculture, malaria control, mental health, International Task force for disease eradication.

From their website:

"Ultimately, the work of The Carter Center is about helping people achieve better opportunities and watching hope take root where it languished before."—Jimmy Carter

The Carter Center, in partnership with Emory University, is guided by a fundamental commitment to human rights and the alleviation of human suffering; it seeks to prevent and resolve conflicts, enhance freedom and democracy, and improve health.

While the program agenda may change, The Carter Center is guided by five principles:


1. The Center emphasizes action and results. Based on careful research and analysis, it is prepared to take timely action on important and pressing issues.

2. The Center does not duplicate the effective efforts of others.

3. The Center addresses difficult problems and recognizes the possibility of failure as an acceptable risk.

4. The Center is nonpartisan and acts as a neutral in dispute resolution activities.

5. The Center believes that people can improve their lives when provided with the necessary skills, knowledge, and access to resources.

The Carter Center collaborates with other organizations, public or private, in carrying out its mission.

http://www.cartercenter.org/index.html

[The Backlash Cometh]

2. You go, Mr. Carter!

[applegrove]

3. I saw a documentary on it. It is just horrific. Good for Carter.