On the Road to Elimination of Rhodesiense Human African Trypanosomiasis: First WHO Meeting of Stakeholders

Overview

Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), also known as sleeping sickness, has been a major scourge afflicting populations in Africa in areas where its specific vector, the tsetse fly, thrives. This endemic disease with a very high level of mortality has caused large epidemics in the past and had a major impact on the development of rural populations. Two clinical forms exist, each affecting distinct parts of Africa: a chronic form in West and Central Africa caused by Trypanosoma brucei gambiense (>95% of current caseload) and an acute form in East and Southern Africa caused by T. b. rhodesiense (<5% of current caseload).