Dracunculiasis eradication: global surveillance summary, 2020

In accordance with the recommendations of the International Commission for the Certification of Dracunculiasis Eradication (ICCDE), WHO has certified 199 countries, areas and territories (including 187 WHO Member States) as free of  transmission of dracunculiasis (Guinea-worm [GW] disease). Seven countries remain to be certified: Angola, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Mali, South Sudan and Sudan.

In 2020, 6 countries reported a total of 27 human cases of dracunculiasis, namely, Angola (1 case), Cameroon (1 case) Chad (12 cases), Ethiopia (11), Mali (1) and South Sudan (1 case), in a total of 19 villages. The case reported in Cameroon in 2020 is a continuation of the crossborder transmission pattern with Chad. Ethiopia reported 11 human cases in 2020 after 2 years of reporting 0 cases, and Mali reported 1 case after reporting 0 cases since 2016.