WHO’s collaborating network
WHO has created strong links with various international organizations, research institutions, development agencies, NGOs and private firms. The objective of this network is not only to improve control tools but also develop approaches facilitating the integration of control and surveillance into primary health care structures.
Public Private Partnership
In May 2001, the joint international efforts, public awareness, and strong leadership of WHO led the pharmaceutical company Aventis to commit to the donation to WHO of a five year contribution of three specific drugs for sleeping sickness treatment and financial support to strengthen control and surveillance at national level.
In October 2006 sanofi-aventis renewed its contribution and expanded it to include several neglected tropical diseases in a 5-year partnership with WHO.
In October 2009 Bayer expanded its donation of suramin to nifurtimox
In 2011 , sanofi-aventis extended to 2016 its support to fight some of the most neglected tropical diseases, included sleeping sickness.
Bayer is considering how to evolve their current commitment to fight sleeping sickness.
WHO Collaborating Center
In 2009 the Parasite Diagnostics Unit, Department of Parasitology of the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp was nominated as WHO collaborating center for Research and Training on human African trypanosomiasis diagnostics.
In 2010 the Unité de Recherche 177 of the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement(IRD) basée au Centre International de Recherche et Développement sur l'Elevage en zones Subhumides (CIRDES) in Bobo Diulaso, Burkina Faso, was nominated as WHO collaborating center for research on interactions on the epidemiology of human African trypanosomiasis