It was perhaps Jimmy Carter's most significant heritage: it was the Carter Center that was crucial in the path towards dracunculiasis elimination. An Alien-like parasitosis that few, in the developed world, knew or cared about (images are derived from its site) 1/n - ThreadSky

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georgiospappas6.bsky.social • 66 days ago

It was perhaps Jimmy Carter's most significant heritage: it was the Carter Center that was crucial in the path towards dracunculiasis elimination. An Alien-like parasitosis that few, in the developed world, knew or cared about (images are derived from its site) 1/n

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georgiospappas6.bsky.social•66 days ago

Up until November 12, 2024, there were only SEVEN human cases of dracunculiasis reported worldwide. In 1986, when the Carter Center targeted the disease for elimination, there were more than 3.5 MILLION annual cases. (Image from Mark Eberhard's editorial in the AJTMH Sept.2024 special issue) 2/n

georgiospappas6.bsky.social•66 days ago

And the disease would have already been eradicated if it wasn't for the parasite's newfound tropism for animal species including dogs and frogs. But it will be eradicated soon. Without an existing vaccine or treatment. By simple public health interventions directly in the community 3/n

georgiospappas6.bsky.social•66 days ago

It was Carter's prestige that allowed for wide ivermectin distribution- >500 million doses for river blindness. >200 million doses of azithromycin for trachoma. Hundreds of thousands of opthalmic surgical interventions (image from the same AJTMH editorial) 4/n

georgiospappas6.bsky.social•66 days ago

It takes a former president for doors to open, for voices to be heard, for funds to be diverted. Carter was not an egotistic stateman, a hipster uncle or a founder of a political dynasty. He didn't seek public lights; instead he orchestrated victory against major ailments of the poor, neglected 5/n

georgiospappas6.bsky.social•66 days ago

As Virchow stated in the 19th Century, "Medicine is a social science, and politics is nothing else but medicine on a large scale". Carter proved that it was feasible 6/n

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