This is a special episode dedicated to President Carter, who aged 98 has recently entered a hospice, and the extraordinary impact he has had around the world in the decades since leaving the White House.From resolving conflicts and building homes for the poor, to eradicating disease and championing human rights, President Carter’s impact has been felt far and wide and in 2002, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. We hear from people he worked with, as well as those whose lives he has touched, his grandson Jason Carter, who is now board chair of The Carter Center -  a nonprofit he set up to focus on conflict resolution, democracy, and health - and Curtis Kohlhaas, the organisation’s director of international philanthropy.Born in 1924 in Plains Georgia, James Earl Carter Jr. served in the US Navy before his opposition to racial segregation took him into politics. He was governor of Georgia from 1971 to 1975 and in 1976 became the 39th president of the United States.One of the last remaining members of his generation of leaders, President Carter displayed a unique ability to relate to ordinary people – something credited to his own humble upbringing as the son of a peanut farmer. Yet, he was also able to leverage his high-level connections to work on issues neglected by the majority and bring them into the mainstream. In addition to their work with The Carter Center, President Carter and his wife Rosalyn have also been long-time supporters of housing charity, Habitat for Humanity. And, until very recently, despite both being quite frail, spent several days a year volunteering and over the years personally helped to build and renovate thousands of homes.One of President Carter’s least well-known areas of work, yet possibly his most impactful, relates to Guinea worm, a waterborne parasite, which causes untold suffering its hosts.In the 1980s, when the Carter Center began its programme to tackle the disease, there were believed to be more than 3.5million cases worldwide. As of last year, the global caseload stood at just 13 - in five countries (Angola, Chad, Ethiopia, Mali and South Sudan) – which is equivalent to a 99.99 percent decrease and Guinea worm is now on course to become only the second human disease - after smallpox - to be eradicated.The Just 13 poem about Guinea worm featured in the podcast was written and performed by Waleed Gubara. The Impact Room is brought to you by Philanthropy Age and Maysa Jalbout. This episode was produced and edited by Louise Redvers. Find us on social media @PhilanthropyAge