Countries endemic for human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), also known as sleeping sickness, continue to report fewer cases, indicating that the disease is well on course for elimination as a public health problem by the end of this year. <\/p>\n
The latest data show that only 980 cases were reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2019, which include the numbers for both the rhodesiense1<\/sup> and gambiense2<\/sup> forms of the disease.<\/p>\n \u201cThere were 864 cases of gambiense HAT, which is the chronic The total combined number of both forms of the disease in 2018 was 977 cases. The slight increase in cases is due to a higher number of rhodesiense HAT cases (the lesser prevalent disease form) in Malawi.3<\/sup>.<\/p>\n In 2000, there were 26 550 confirmed cases reported to WHO. Sustained control efforts reduced the number to below 10 000 for the first time in 50 years in 2009 \u2013 a reduction that continued to 7129 cases in 2010, 2800 in 2015 and now to its current \u201cThis achievement is largely due to the hard work and efforts WHO cautions that the world should not repeat the mistakes of the past and become prematurely complacent.<\/p>\n \u201cElimination as a public health problem in 2020 is an intermediate step,<\/em>\u201d said Dr Franco-Minguell. \u201cWe Achieving the 2030 goals will require maintaining the commitment of disease\u2010endemic countries and of donors as well as integrating control activities into health systems. These efforts should be supported by the development of improved tools, adoption 1<\/sup>Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense<\/em> HAT (r\u2010HAT) is a zoonotic disease transmitted by tsetse flies from wild and domestic animals. It is found in eastern and southern Africa. \u00a0<\/p>\n
\nand more prevalent form of the disease, last year compared with 953
\ncases in 2018 \u2013 continuing a sustained downward trend \u2013 representing a
\ndrop of slightly above 9% in one year,<\/em>\u201d said Dr Jos\u00e9 Ram\u00f3n Franco-Minguell, Medical Officer, WHO Department of Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases. \u201cIt follows the pattern of the past 2 years and is consistent with data captured in previous years.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\nContinued decline<\/h4>\n
\n level, which represents a 96% reduction during the past 20 years. <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.who.int\/trypanosomiasis_african\/news\/sleeping-sickness-graph-june-2020.png\")
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\nof national control programmes and to an array of committed stakeholders
\n and the support of WHO,<\/em>\u201d said Dr Gerardo Priotto, Medical Officer, WHO Department of Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases. \u201cAdded
\n to this is the long-standing collaboration of Sanofi and Bayer
\nHealthCare who have generously donated medicines and facilitated other
\ninitiatives,4<\/sup> including training of personnel to improve control and patient-screening activities over the past 20 years.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n need to do much more to reach the sustainable elimination of
\ntransmission (zero cases) for gambiense HAT in 2030 as targeted in the
\nnew WHO NTD road map.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n of innovative disease control approaches and effective coordination of work by stakeholders to ensure synergy of efforts.<\/p>\n
2<\/sup>Trypanosoma brucei gambiense<\/em> HAT (g\u2010HAT) is mainly an anthroponotic disease that accounts for more than 98% of all HAT cases. It is found mainly in western and central Africa.
3<\/sup>In Malawi, an important increase in the number of cases was reported in the last months
\n of 2019 around Vwaza Marsh and Nkhotakota wildlife reserves, where the diversity of wild animals is considered to be the main potential reservoir of the disease.
4<\/sup>WHO provides the antitrypanosomal medicines free of charge to endemic
\n countries through public\u2013private partnerships with Sanofi (pentamidine, melarsoprol, eflornithine and fexinidazole) and with Bayer HealthCare (suramin and nifurtimox). The medicines are conditioned and shipped in collaboration with MSF-Logistics.\u00a0<\/p>\n