From the Nominator

Former President and Emory University Distinguished Professor Jimmy Carter often said that he hoped the last Guinea worm would die before him. He very nearly got his wish. For centuries, this parasitic plague was endemic, with millions of cases around the world. Now, there are just a handful of cases and Carter’s nearly 40-year fight against Guinea worm disease is poised for victory: it would be the second disease eradicated after smallpox and the first without a vaccine or medicine. Although Carter died soon after this article was written, the Carter Center continues the fight against “the fiery serpent.” Our writer, who has covered public health at Emory for a decade, wrote a captivating narrative of this “countdown to zero” and Emory’s partnership with the Carter Center. She interviewed a dozen Emory alumni, public health experts, and Carter Center leaders who have been deeply involved in the effort. Synthesizing years of previous coverage, news articles and videos, several documentaries, and other archived materials and photos, she tells the story of Carter and his team creating a coalition of global Guinea worm warriors, negotiating ceasefires, engaging recalcitrant leaders from Ghana to the Sudan, and distributing countless water filters. A Carter Center health sector leader says the article “proves the value of comprehensive, magazine-style coverage.” The article ran online at the Emory News Center on Carter's 100th birthday, the only health or medical article in the package. The Carter Center published it on its website during the week of his memorial and funeral service.

From the Judges

Congratulations to the Emory team which succeeded in telling at once an inspirational remembrance of President Carter, a spotlight on current research priorities, and an impact report for alumni and donors who are involved in the work to combat Guinea worm disease.