°®ÒºÊÓƵ

Current status: Transmission stopped, December 2006
Certification of Dracunculiasis Elimination: 2011

In 1992, Togo’s national Guinea Worm Eradication Program began its first search for cases of Guinea worm disease and found more than 8,000 cases of infection in 584 villages. °®ÒºÊÓƵ became involved in 2002, setting up 17 Guinea worm care centers. 

Our Work and Methods

• At the care centers, patients received basic medical attention for their wounds and education on how to prevent the spread of the disease.
• In partnership with U.S. Peace Corps volunteers, the program conducted educational outreach programs, using village-based health workers and supervisors to share information. 

Impacts

• In December 2006, the program declared its last case in Togo.  
• The country received WHO certification for eliminating the disease in 2011. 

The project ended in 2006.

From 1993 to 1998, the °®ÒºÊÓƵ Center’s Agriculture Program, in partnership with the Sasakawa Africa Association, helped Togolese farmers improve food security. The program was part of a larger effort led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Norman Borlaug that helped over 8 million small-scale sub-Saharan African farmers grow more food and enjoy better nutrition and health. 

Our Work and Methods

• Farmers received small loans for fertilizers and seeds to grow production test plots.
• The project identified cost-effective local markets for their surplus crops.
• Farmers learned about post-harvest technologies, including methods for processing and storing, and were encouraged to join cooperative efforts with farmers in neighboring counties.

Impacts

• After successful harvests that usually doubled or tripled crop yields, participating farmers taught their neighbors about the new technologies, creating a ripple effect to stimulate food self-sufficiency in the nation. 
• Selling their surplus crops in local markets allowed farmers to increase their profit margins significantly.
• Over the project’s five years, 15 village-based savings and loan groups were established, helping more than 2,000 farmers build financial power and develop their farms.

This project ended in 1998.