South Sudan has not reported any case of dracunculiasis (guinea-worm disease) since November 2014. This unprecedented achievement is the result of increased and sustained surveillance by the national Guinea-worm Eradication Programme in a country which during January–May 2014 had reported 12 cases. A cash reward introduced in April 2014 is the latest measure to strengthen the programme’s response to rumours. As of the end of May 2015, 1030 rumours had been reported.
Mali has also reported zero cases since November 2014. During January–May 2015, 148 rumours were investigated, none of which was confirmed as guinea-worm disease.
Chad reported 4 cases from four villages during January–May 2015. In that period, the national programme responded to 562 rumours, 99% of which were investigated within 24 hours. The country is experiencing an atypical disease epidemiology in the canine population, with several dogs harbouring worms genetically identical to those occurring in humans.
Ethiopia reported one case during January–May 2015 from Gop village in Abobo Woreda in Gambella Region. The country continues to maintain surveillance and health workers followed up 2500 rumours, 98% of which were investigated within 24 hours.
During the mid-1980s, an estimated 3.5 million cases of dracunculiasis were reported in 20 countries; 16 countries were in the African Region. The number of reported cases declined throughout the 1990s, reaching fewer than 10 000 cases in 2007, 1797 in 2010, 1058 in 2011, 542 in 2012, 148 in 2013 and 126 in 2014.
Since 1995, WHO has certified 198 countries, territories and areas (belonging to 186 Member States) as free of dracunculiasis transmission.
As of 2015, only eight countries have yet to be certified: the remaining four endemic countries (Chad, Ethiopia, Mali and South Sudan) and Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya and Sudan.