Statement from Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman: On President Jimmy Carter

President Jimmy Carter was a tireless leader who never stopped changing lives for the better. For close to three decades, President Carter, Rosalynn Carter, and The Carter Center led the fight against neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) that plague those living in poverty. Thanks to the Carter Center’s extraordinary health programs conducted in partnership with countries’ health ministries and health workers, hundreds of millions of people have been able to access medicine to prevent NTDs, and dozens of countries have been able to eliminate at least one of these diseases altogether. This would not have been possible without President Carter’s vision and his efforts to galvanize action against these diseases. 

President Carter’s contributions go far beyond global health. The 39^th US President was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his work promoting peace through mediation in conflict settings, enhancing freedom and democracy through transparent monitoring of elections, and promoting economic and social development, and access to mental health services. And for more than 35 years, the Carters helped build houses for those in need. In recognition of this remarkable impact, the Gates Foundation celebrated President Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter with a Goalkeepers Lifetime Achievement Award in September 2023. 

We are proud to have partnered with President Carter and to have supported the Carter Center’s work since 2000 to reduce the burden of neglected tropical diseases. And we continue to share his vision of a world free of Guinea worm disease—a painful condition that has fallen from millions of cases in the 1980s to an all-time low of 13 human infections reported in 2022.  

President Carter’s optimism, compassion, and heroic spirit have inspired Gates Foundation leaders and employees throughout the years and have reminded the world that seemingly impossible obstacles can be overcome through a combination of innovation, dedication, and community involvement.  

Our hearts go out to the Carter family and our partners at The Carter Center during this difficult time. We will continue to honor President Carter’s legacy to stop unnecessary suffering and deaths through our work to end preventable diseases, poverty, and inequity.