How Jimmy Carter Changed the History of Humanity

He very nearly eradicated an ancient disease

Credit: Carter Center/Louise Gub

I’ve done over 1,000 Global Dispatches podcast interviews since I started the show in 2013—twice a week, every week, for the past 15 years. I’m often asked: who is the guest I wish I could interview? My answer is invariably Jimmy Carter.

I’ve always been fascinated by his post-presidency. In many ways, he defined the modern post-presidency, setting an example that initiatives like the Clinton Foundation and the Obama Foundation would follow decades later. The Carter Center’s work on election monitoring helped establish global standards and provided confidence in fledgling democracies. Its conflict resolution program supports peacebuilding in regions often overlooked by the West. But for me, the Carter Center’s most impactful work—and indeed, Jimmy Carter’s most significant legacy—is his dedication to eradicating Guinea worm disease.

Guinea worm is a waterborne parasite that, when ingested, grows inside the body until it painfully exits through a lesion in…