President Laurent Gbagbo of Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) has received the Jimmy Carter Prize, sponsored by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, for his push to eradicate the waterborne disease guinea worm in his country. Fighting guinea worm, or dracontiasis, is an uphill battle in regions where there isn’t enough safe drinking water, whether from poor waste disposal, rapid population growth, or both, as in Abidjan District. Komlan Siamevi of the World Health Organization, who presented the prize in Cocody, praised President Gbagbo’s efforts.

Source: Ernest Aka Simon, Fraternité Matin (Abidjan) / allAfrica.com [in French], 16 May 2008

Tags: advocacy, africa, water-related diseases