The World Health Organization (WHO) has congratulated Guinea on eliminating the gambiense form of human African trypanosomiasis, the first neglected tropical disease in the country. This achievement is a testament to global progress against neglected tropical diseases and a beacon of hope for nations still battling the disease. Human African trypanosomiasis is a vector-borne parasitic disease caused by infected tsetse flies, causing fever, headaches, joint pain, and neurological symptoms in advanced stages.
Successful national collaborations and investments
In the 1990s, HAT resurged along Guinea’s coast due to increased human activity in mangroves. Guinea’s Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene established the National Programme for the Control of HAT in 2002, with support from WHO, IRD, and partners. The programme began with mass medical screenings and introduced vector control interventions in 2012 to interrupt contact between people and tsetse flies. By 2016, nearly 15,000 impregnated mini-screens were deployed annually.
Guinea successfully eliminated human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) cases due to the Ebola outbreak and COVID-19, a pandemic that disrupted medical activities. The programme, which involved door-to-door HAT screening, collaboration with local communities, advances in diagnostic techniques, and consistent financial support from the WHO, helped reduce HAT cases to below the WHO threshold. The elimination of sleeping sickness is a significant public health achievement, allowing vulnerable families and communities to live free from the threat of this potentially fatal disease. Seven other countries, including Togo, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Uganda, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, and Chad, have also been validated by WHO for eliminating the gambiense form of HAT. Rwanda has also been validated as a public health problem.
