A daily routine for women and children in remote parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo is gathering water. Streams, ponds and rivers are the main sources of water for drinking, bathing and cooking for many here.
More than 60 years ago, Congolese were falling sick of a disease transmitted by drinking unfiltered water from such areas. The ailment was known as the Guinea worm disease.
"Our old health system detected many cases of the Guinea worm disease in our country during the colonial period. Some reports put the figure at about 518 cases," said Dr. Serge Nkoyi Mbilo, Director of the National Program for the Eradication of Guinea Worm Disease.
Although rarely fatal, the Guinea worm disease leaves sufferers unable to function normally for long. Once the water flea enters the body, it grows into a long worm that comes out through the arm or leg.
In 1986, international health experts decided to eliminate the Guinea worm disease. The campaign was led by the Carter Center, founded by former President Jimmy Carter.
Back then, about 3.5 million cases of Guinea worm were reported annually in 21 countries in Africa and Asia.
In 2022, the World Health Organization certified the DRC as free of the Guinea worm disease. Congolese officials hail President Carter's NGO for its efforts in providing technical and financial assistance.
"The Carter Foundation is the sole funder that supports efforts to eradicate Guinea worm disease in our country, but the funds go through the World Health Organization," said Dr. Renee Nsamba, a World Health Organization Surveillance Officer.
International experts are now on a mission of eradicating the disease from the six remaining countries - Angola, Chad, Ethiopia, Mali, South Sudan and Sudan.
The DRC has been working closely with experts from the Carter Center to prevent the emergence of new cases from neighboring countries.
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Health officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo are still monitoring suspected cases of the Guinea worm disease after the country was declared free of the infection. Posters offer a cash reward of $1,000 to people who report cases that are confirmed are meant to help them identify and treat the disease promptly. No one in the DRC has received the $1000 so far because all the suspected cases reported have turned out to be different ailments.
The Carter Center has been supporting the DRC with funding for monitoring the disease through the World Health Organization. But Congolese health experts want that to change.
"What we want is to work directly with the Carter Center, especially in this post-certification time. We need to strengthen surveillance internally and along our borders," Dr. Mbilo said.
There is no medicine or vaccine for treating the Guinea worm disease. Health experts urge communities to avoid drinking water from unfiltered sources.
President Carter worked tirelessly to eradicate the disease. Before undergoing treatment for brain cancer, he said he hoped to see the last Guinea worm die before he does.
With only 13 human cases of the disease reported worldwide in 2022, it's clear his aspiration is getting closer.
