WHO reported that in 2023, dracunculiasis, or Guinea-worm disease, continues to see a reduction in human cases.

The most recent data shows 14 human cases across five countries, including:

The disease that primarily affects poor rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa is now confined only to a handful of endemic countries with continuous transmission.

Security and civil unrest, as well as logistical challenges related to continuous surveillance operations in these remote areas, remain persistent obstacles to the eradication.

Countries such as Chad, Ethiopia, and South Sudan have experienced a marked reduction in their rates of infection because interventions like increased surveillance have become more robust.

The activities initiated by the project in Mali, where proactive tethering of dogs has been successfully piloted, continue to monitor and manage new cases.

Access is still a big challenge in most districts and efforts are underway to enhance surveillance, particularly in cross-border areas, to prevent the spread of the disease.