Summary of the 31st meeting of the international task force for disease eradication, 20-21 October 2020

This article provides a brief overview of the 31st meeting of the International TaskForce for Disease Eradication (ITFDE) that was convened at The Carter Center in Atlanta, GA, USA on 20-21 October 2020 to discuss "The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on eradication and elimination programmes and the way forward." It highlights the results of 7 eradication programmes, with specific conclusions and recommendations for each: Guinea Worm Eradication Programme(dracunculiasis;GWEP);Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI);elimination programmes for measles and rubella (MR), malaria, river blindness (onchocerciasis;RB), and lymphatic filariasis (LF);and the program for the Global Elimination of Trachoma.

Eradication push urged as Guinea worm cases fall

Speed read Guinea worm cases fell in 2021 by 48 per cent from 27 to 14 Community-based interventions proved effective, despite COVID-19 Final push needed to achieve full eradication – Carter Center The number of human cases of Guinea worm disease halved in 2021 to a record low of 14, putting the goal of global eradication in sight, the US-based Carter Center has announced. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Guinea worm disease is not usually fatal, but people suffering from it become “non-functional” for weeks and months. Adam Weiss, director of the Carter Center’s Guinea worm eradication programme, told SciDev.Net: “In the face of a global pandemic, volunteers and local staff carried out household visits to provide health education, distribute filters, and protect water sources from being contaminated.