Three Central African nations pledge to eliminate Guinea-worm disease by 2030

CHAD— The Ministers of Health of Cameroon, the Central African Republic, and Chad have pledged to intensify efforts to eradicate Guinea-worm disease by 2030, in alignment with the global roadmap to eliminate neglected tropical diseases by the end of the decade.

This commitment was solidified during a high-level international meeting held on 17 September 2024 in N’Djamena, Chad.

The ministers signed the N’Djamena Declaration, which emphasizes interrupting the transmission of Guinea-worm disease, also known as dracunculiasis, within the subregion.

The meeting, organized by the Government of Chad in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and The Carter Center, highlighted the urgency of scaling up community-based surveillance.

Furthermore, it underscored the importance of maintaining and increasing domestic funding to support national programs to stop disease transmission.

Discussions during the event also focused on the need for stronger advocacy efforts to secure access to safe drinking water and implement legal and regulatory measures to control dog and cat populations.

These measures are critical for preventing the spread of both Guinea-worm disease and rabies in local communities.

Additionally, participants stressed the importance of strengthening synchronized cross-border interventions in endemic areas to curb the disease.

In his address, H.E. Allah-Maye Halina Mahamat, the Prime Minister of Chad, expressed the significance of holding such an international meeting in N’Djamena.

He noted that only five countries worldwide, including Chad, remain endemic to Guinea-worm disease.

He further emphasised Chad’s commitment, as a signatory to the Abu Dhabi Declaration in March 2022, to improve the health and well-being of its citizens.

Chad, which accounts for over 50% of human Guinea-worm cases and more than 80% of animal infections globally, has taken tangible steps to strengthen its strategies and actions in the fight against the disease.

Significant progress has been made globally in the battle against Guinea-worm disease. The number of cases has dropped from 3.5 million in the 1980s to just 14 in 2023, with nine of those reported in Chad.

Cameroon and the Central African Republic reported cases in 2019 and 2022, which are suspected to have been imported from Chad due to cross-border population movements.

Speaking at the event, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus highlighted that while Chad has successfully eliminated African trypanosomiasis, the country is now on the verge of freeing itself – and the world – from Guinea-worm disease.

 He stressed that “this achievement is not just about numbers; it is about lives transformed and communities empowered.”

On her part, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, congratulated Chad on its progress toward eliminating neglected tropical diseases.

 She urged governments to prioritize Guinea-worm disease surveillance across borders, integrate eradication efforts with other disease control programs, and expand financing through domestic resource mobilization.

Despite the progress, challenges remain in the final push for eradication. These include animal transmission leading to human spillover infections, inadequate access to safe water, insecurity, cross-border population movements, dwindling funding, and the impacts of climate change on water resources.

 WHO recommends that countries maintain active surveillance for at least three consecutive years after interrupting Guinea-worm transmission to ensure no human or animal cases go undetected and to prevent any resurgence of the disease.

 The organization continues to advocate for eradication, provide technical guidance, and monitor progress.