Dracunculiasis – Certification of eradication

Overview

The International Commission for the Certification of Dracunculiasis Eradication (ICCDE) held its second meeting at WHO headquarters on 23 and 24 January 1997. This independent commission, established by WHO in 1995, is made up of 12 public health experts representing the 6 WHO Regions and the principal organizations participating directly in the global dracunculiasis eradication campaign: the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Global 2000.

The ICCDE reviewed requests for certification from 22 countries. On the basis of its certification criteria, and of its analysis of information submitted by these countries and by the International Certification Teams (ICTs), the ICCDE proposed to the Director-General of WHO that 21 candidate countries be certified as being “free of dracunculiasis transmission”.