How President Jimmy Carter Slayed a Dragon and Is Helping to Eradicate an Ancient Disease

Maybe you've used a LifeStraw to safely drink water from a stream while camping, or maybe you have one in your home to filter your drinking water. But did you know that the company behind this popular water filtration technology is close to completely eradicating an ancient disease from the planet? 

For thousands of years, Guinea Worm or Dracunculiasis has plagued the continents of Africa and Asia, debilitating its victims and causing incredible pain and suffering. The disease stems from bad drinking water that contains Guinea Worm larvae, which for generations has been unwittingly ingested by humans. Once the Guinea Worm reaches maturity inside its host, the tapeworm bores its way out of the body, usually through the lower extremities. It's a process that causes incredible pain and discomfort. 

The battle against Guinea Worm is the focus of a new documentary by The Carter Center and Buffalo 8. The President and the Dragon -- now playing on Amazon Prime Video, Hoopla and Verizon Fios -- illustrates the struggles faced by President Jimmy Carter and the Carter Center in their fight to eradicate Guinea Worm. Carter ran a campaign in motion that used education, technology, surveillance, and a coalition of scientists and volunteers. The goal was to decrease the number of cases of Guinea Worm from 3.5 million victims a year in the 1990s to just 15 cases in 2024. 

If the Guinea Worm Eradication program is successful, Guinea Worm will be the second disease ever eradicated from planet Earth. Smallpox, the first, was declared eradicated by the World Health Organization in 1980. What's even more remarkable about this accomplishment is that the disease would be eradicated without the use of a vaccine or medicine. 

I traveled to The Carter Center in Atlanta for a screening of Carter's new documentary. I also interviewed Allison Hill, LifeStraw CEO, and Adam Weiss, the director of the Guinea Worm Eradication Program, about their work to eradicate the disease. You can watch the video to learn more about the documentary and the fight against Guinea Worm. Watch the trailer for The President and the Dragon below.