In a household where a parent has had Guinea worm, toddlers will be less well nourished because the infected parent will have difficulty farming, Hopkins said.

CNN: Rare tropical disease close to eradication

Slevin, now 59, went to jail in August 2005 as "a well nourished, physically healthy adult, " but emerged with a long beard, bed sores, bad teeth and weighing just 133 pounds in June 2007, according to the lawsuit.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

And, of course, Progresa cannot create the jobs that all these well-nourished, well-educated young people will need.

ECONOMIST: Mexico