For more than four decades after leaving the White House, President Jimmy Carter channeled his work on the world stage through his nonprofit Carter Center.

One of the key achievements, the near eradication of Guinea worm disease, which once affected 3.5 million people.

Last year, there were just 14 cases reported in Africa.

That's why, as William Brangham reports, Carter's work promoting global public health is being remembered by many as a core piece of his legacy.

The Carter Center's efforts span more than 80 countries and help bring about the eradication of diseases, the delivery of life-saving drugs to far-flung areas,

and to focus on improving mental health care. To examine this work that was so important to

Jimmy Carter, we are joined again by Dr. Peter Hotez. He's co-director of the Texas Children's Hospital

Center for Vaccine Development and Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine

at Baylor College of Medicine. He worked with Jimmy Carter on neglected tropical diseases.

Dr. Hotes, great to have you back on the program. When you look at Jimmy Carter's legacy on this front

with regards to global public health, what stands out the most to you?

I think for me it's the fact that the president really hid home for the world,

that health is a fundamental human right. Just like people have a fundamental right to access

to food, water, and shelter. They also have a fundamental right of

access to being free from ancient scourges, like guinea worm, like river blindness, like lymphatic

phyleriasis, diseases that are not household names here in the United States, but globally

they're among the most common afflictions

of people living in poverty.

He, more than anyone else, I think,

really hit home the fact that people have a fundamental right

to be free of these parasitic and neglected tropical diseases.

And a lot of his work was in the field,

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