Building resilient health systems that can provide needed services to people requires strong financing and governance capacities of national authorities. WHO supports Member States to design, implement and monitor health financing policies to reduce the number of people suffering financial hardship when accessing essential health care services. WHO also supports countries in the development, implementation, monitoring and review of their national policies, legal frameworks and plans, in an inclusive participatory manner, as tools for strengthening health governance.

Guinea-worm disease, or dracunculiasis, is a parasitic disease that is transmitted through drinking stagnant water that has been contaminated with a tiny parasite-infected flea. Once inside the body, the larvae can mature into worms that grow up to 1 metre in length.

Symptoms of guinea-worm disease do not usually occur until one year after infestation. A person may develop a fever, swelling and pain in the area where the adult worm is ready to come out. The location may vary but 90% of the worms come out in the legs and feet.