Context

• Chad has become the first country in 2024 and the 51st globally to eliminate a neglected tropical disease (NTD) — the gambiense form of human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), also known as sleeping sickness.

  • Togo first in Africa to end sleeping sickness.

About human African trypanosomiasis (HAT)

• HAT is caused by protozoan parasites that spread via infected tsetse flies.
• The illness is typically fatal if left untreated, according to the WHO.
• For centuries, sleeping sickness has devastated communities across sub-Saharan Africa.
• If not treated, the disease progresses slowly, causing fatigue, headaches and, in severe cases, coma.
• There are two forms of HAT, determined by the subspecies of the parasite involved: Trypanosoma brucei gambiense, which accounts for 92 per cent of reported cases and Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, responsible for the remaining 8 per cent.
• Prior to 2002, Chad faced a significant burden of sleeping sickness, particularly in the Mandoul region.
• However, a dedicated national effort, in collaboration with WHO and other partners, launched a multi-pronged attack on the disease.
• The strategy focused on two key areas:
• • Early diagnosis and treatment
  • Tsetse fly control

Back to Basics

• To date, WHO has validated the elimination of the gambiense form of HAT in seven countries: Togo (2020), Benin (2021), Ivory Coast (2021), Uganda (2022), Equatorial Guinea (2022), Ghana (2023) and Chad (2024). Additionally, the rhodesiense form of the disease has been eliminated as a public health problem in Rwanda.

Source: DTE

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