CONTINUING COVERAGE

For several decades, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has followed the Carter Center’s attempt to do something that has been done only once before: eradicate a disease.

Fighting preventable diseases became an early passion for former President Jimmy Carter. Guinea worm became a focus in 1986 after former White House staffer Dr. Peter Bourne told Carter he believed the disease could be wiped out. That has happened only once before, with smallpox.

The Carter Center took a world leadership role in 1986 to lead the fight against Guinea worm — at that time, it affected about 3.5 million people in Africa and south Asia — and the AJC sent reporters to Africa with Carter to document the fight. Today, the number of cases is 30, and they are limited to two countries.