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Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter recently awarded BASF with a signed certificate of appreciation for its work in helping to eradicate Guinea worm disease. The Guinea worm is a water-borne parasite that infects millions of humans each year through contaminated drinking water. Carter presented BASF representatives Mike Heinz and John H. Thomas with the certificate in a private meeting in The Carter Center’s Atlanta headquarters in recognition of the significant efforts of BASF.
BASF worked in partnership with The Carter Center and other world organizations on the effort, and as a result, Guinea worm is set to become only the second disease since smallpox to be eliminated worldwide. Carter expressed his gratitude to every employee of BASF by saying, “I personally thank BASF, and about 3,400,000 people who had Guinea worm disease once and don’t have it now, also thank BASF.”
To support the Guinea worm initiative, BASF provided supplies of ABATE® larvicide, the world’s number one water-treatment insecticide for disease vector control. Results of the campaign include the reduction of Guinea worm cases from 3.5 million in 1986 to almost complete eradication with fewer than 12,000 cases in 2005.
The private meeting with former President Carter was held in conjunction with a larger symposium at The Carter Center, where more than 70 international dignitaries, experts, donors and professionals participated in discussions and reviewed the status of relief programs in Sudan, Nigeria and Ghana – nations where 96 percent of the world’s remaining Guinea worm disease cases occur.
“It’s an honor for BASF to be recognized by an important worldwide leader such as President Carter,” said Thomas. “Knowing that our company continues to play such a critical part in this remarkable achievement demonstrates the potential for future successes worldwide.”
Once affecting millions of Africans each year, Guinea worm disease, while not fatal, is a debilitating condition that results in open sores, infections and arthritis. Individuals afflicted with the disease become unable to perform simple, yet essential functions such as tending to farms and caring for children, literally halting everyday productivity throughout the affected villages.
For more information on the Guinea worm eradication effort, please visit
The Carter Center
Web site.
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