The 39th President, now 93-years-old, and his former First Lady (90), were honored in Atlanta this week. President Jimmy Carter, and his wife Rosalynn, have been given the 2018 Bill Foege Global Health Award. In the ceremony, tribute was paid to the Carter’s for their commitment to preventing needless suffering. They were honored for building hope for millions of the world’s poorest people.
The presidential couple do most of their work through The Carter Center. They co-foundedt he center in 1982 which was one year after leaving office.
Carter Center Fights Six Preventable Diseases
The Carter Center is a leader in the eradication and elimination of diseases. It fights six preventable diseases: Guinea worm, river blindness, trachoma, schistosomiasis, lymphatic filariasis, and malaria in Hispaniola. They use health education and simple, low cost methods. The Center also works to improve maternal and child health in Sudan and Nigeria and improve access to mental health care globally.
There were over 500 business and global health community leaders on hand to celebrate the Carters. Those who attended included: Atlanta Braves legend Hank Aaron and his wife Billye, philanthropist Stephanie Blank, as well as media mogul Ted Turner.
These are some of the things people had to say to honor Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter:
“These are people who exemplify the values we all aspire to—particularly compassion and respect for every human being.”
“There wasn’t a precedent for someone living out their post-presidential life as true global humanitarians.”
“They’ve achieved victories that I don’t think anyone could have ever foreseen possible.
“What drives Mrs. Carter is a great desire to remove the stigma from mental illness…
“They don’t stop and just continue on. They work harder than anyone—I mean they make all of us feel embarrassed.”
The Carters are celebrating 71 years of marriage. They are respected and loved by millions all over the globe as a result of hard work and commitment.