US embassy cable - 04ACCRA266

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ACCRA 000266 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID, OVIP, SOCI, GH, health 
SUBJECT: FORMER PRESIDENT CARTER IN GHANA FEBRUARY 3-5: 
GUINEA WORM ERADICATION 
 
1. (SBU) Former President Jimmy Carter and members of the 
Carter Center visited Ghana February 3-5 to rally support to 
eradicate the last one percent of guinea worm cases 
worldwide. Carter attended a Country Team briefing and 
reception hosted by Ambassador Yates, visited guinea worm 
infested areas, met with leaders in the Northern Region and 
President of Ghana John Agyekum Kufuor. Throughout his trip, 
Carter reiterated the need for a concerted effort by the GoG 
to eradicate guinea worm. Harsh in his criticism for the lack 
of concerted effort, Carter would not relent on what he saw 
as a definitive lack of commitment by the current 
administration to effectively tackle this preventable 
disease. However, after meeting with Kufuor, Carter left with 
a sense of Ghana's renewed commitment to eradicate Guinea 
worm. End Summary. 
 
2. (U) Former President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalyn 
Carter brought a delegation from the Carter Center to Ghana 
on February 3-5 to assess Ghana's failure to eradicate Guinea 
Worm, a debilitating water-borne disease that afflicts over 
35,000 people. Ghana represents about 27 percent of the 
remaining guinea worm cases. Accompanying President Carter 
from the Carter Center were Jeff Carter, Richard Blum, John 
Hardman, Dr. Ernesto Ruiz-Tiben and Nancy Konigsmark. 
President Carter and his team first met with members of the 
Country Team who briefed him on the current state of Ghana's 
economic, political and health affairs. At the end of the 
briefing, Carter's primary focus was why Ghana performs so 
poorly in eradicating Guinea worm. The Carter delegation then 
attended a reception hosted by Ambassador Yates giving key 
health officials, including the Minister of Health Dr. Kwaku 
Afriyie, the opportunity to meet with his team. The Carters 
asked that the international community to do all it could to 
ensure GoG commitment to eradicating the disease. Ghana just 
needs a little push said Mrs. Carter. The theme of the trip, 
"Committed to Finishing the Job," became a mantra reiterated 
throughout the visit. 
 
3. (U) On February 4 the Director General of the WHO Dr. 
Jong-Wok Lee and Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF Dr. Kul 
Gautam joined the Carter delegation, the Minister of Health 
and Ambassador Yates on a trip to guinea worm infested areas 
in the Northern Region. Carter visited guinea worm endemic 
villages and watched a demonstration of the simple filtering 
techniques that prevent the disease.  He also met with health 
leaders to get their perspective on the current state of the 
disease. He stated that a lack of boreholes does not 
exculpate Ghana since guinea worm had been eradicated in 
areas where there were no boreholes and no easy access to 
water. He made it clear that he found the excuse unacceptable 
and that more needed to be done to mobilize resources to rid 
Ghana of the often debilitating affliction. 
 
4. (U) During his press conference with a number of 
representatives of international and local press, Carter 
stated that Ghana is not doing enough to eradicate the 
disease. He also did not accept the excuse that the reason 
behind the poor performance was due to a lack of boreholes, 
something leaders in the infested areas told him time and 
again. He noted that drier, poorer countries had managed to 
eradicate the disease and that Ghana could not wait for the 
solution in a borehole and pointed out that even a country at 
war like Sudan was reducing cases. He also noted that 
education and filtering are the key components to eradication 
efforts. 
 
5. (U) After a full day in Tamale, President and Mrs. Carter 
visited President Kufuor who welcomed and thanked them for 
the Carter Center's advocacy and support for Guinea worm 
eradication in Ghana. President Carter repeated comments he 
had made throughout the day about Ghana falling behind the 
majority of other countries in eradicating the disease. 
President Kufuor said he knew Ghana could and should do 
better, citing the need for better education and for more 
bore holes. Carter diplomatically responded that he 
understood the importance of deep wells for villages, but 
maintained his mantra that filtering water is all that is 
needed to eradicate the disease. Dr. Gautam told Kufuor that 
one of Ghana's most illustrious public servants Kofi Anan had 
made a two-minute video on Guinea worm and pointed out that 
most of the victims are children. President Carter also 
convinced Kufuor to add a 30 second spot of his own. In the 
course of the 30-minute meeting, President Carter invited 
President Kufuor to the Carter Center, and they also 
discussed election monitoring. President Carter offered the 
services of his Center to Kufuor. It was the first meeting 
between these two leaders and very positive and cordial. 
 
6. (SBU) Comment: The international media attention was 
focused on Ghana's underperformance on Guinea worm and the 
picture was not pretty. Constituting 27 percent of the 
current Guinea worm cases worldwide in an area where poorer 
and drier countries have outperformed were an uncomfortable 
position for Ghana. After having the spotlight shined on its 
problem, Ghana seems ready to tackle this preventable 
disease, using the limited resources necessary to do the job. 
End Comment. 
Lanier