Only 10 Guinea Worm Disease Cases in 2025

The Carter Center celebrated the seventh anniversary of World Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) Day on January 30, 2026, by announcing that only 10 provisional human cases of Guinea worm disease were reported worldwide in 2025—marking the lowest number ever recorded in the decades-long eradication campaign.

This milestone brings the parasitic infection closer than ever to becoming the second human disease eradicated globally, after smallpox, and the first to be eliminated without the use of a vaccine.

Guinea worm disease, one of 21 neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) that collectively affect over 1.7 billion people worldwide, has seen a dramatic decline of more than 99.99% since the Carter Center launched its eradication efforts in 1986.

Jason Carter, board chair of the Carter Center and the eldest grandchild of former President Jimmy Carter, emphasized the personal significance of this progress in a media statement on January 30, 2026: "Seeing Guinea worm cases reach historic lows is one of the clearest expressions of that legacy and our commitment to the communities where trust has been earned."

In 2025, the 10 human cases were reported in the following countries: four each in Chad and Ethiopia, and two in South Sudan.

Transmission occurs when people drink water contaminated with Guinea worm larvae. About a year later, a meter-long worm emerges painfully through a blister in the skin—often on the legs or feet—prompting sufferers to immerse the affected area in water, which releases more larvae and continues the cycle.

Eradication relies on community-based strategies, including health education, behavior change, water filtration, and case containment.

Animal infections present an ongoing challenge, as the same parasite (Dracunculus medinensis) affects dogs and other domestic animals.

Global support was strengthened in May 2025 with the adoption of World Health Assembly resolution WHA78.14.

With only six countries yet to be certified free of Guinea worm disease by the World Health Organization, the Carter Center's goal of zero cases remains firmly in sight.