Human African trypanosomiasis

Control and Surveillance

© Maciej Dakowicz

WHO's ultimate objective is the elimination of human African trypanosomiasis as a public health problem and the establishment of a sustained surveillance system in all disease-endemic countries.

To achieve this, the HAT control and surveillance programme focuses on:

  • Provide wider accessibility of people at risk to diagnosis and treatment. WHO assists 'National Sleeping Sickness Programmes' (NSSCPs) to implement control activities and capacity building through in-service training and thematic workshops at national, regional and international level. Reagents and equipment for screening and diagnosis and drugs for treatment are also provided.
  • Strengthened control and surveillance. This is achieved through both, mobile teams who travel through endemic areas to carry out active case-finding surveys and by the maintenance of network for passive surveillance. Good reporting is imperative to allow a follow-up of the epidemiological evolution of the disease at continental level.
  • Guidelines and policies. These are jointly elaborated with health services of endemic countries and delivered to national implementing bodies. The main objective is to harmonize control strategies and make optimal use of available tools.

"No universal methodology"


There is no universal methodology to control human African trypanosomiasis. Control and surveillance of the disease includes active and passive case finding, diagnosis, treatment, patient follow-up, vector control and control of animal reservoir.

Sustainability


In the 1930s, colonial administrations conscious of the huge negative impact the disease had on the development of its territories, established large programmes to combat the spread and reduce the prevalence of sleeping sickness.

WHO’s collaborating network


WHO has created strong links with various international organizations, research institutions, development agencies, NGOs and private firms.

16 Sep. 09 | Geneva
Human African trypanosomiasis Audio summary–Human African trypanosomiasis, 00:08:30 [mp3 4.80Mb]
Play now | Full article

11 Sep. 09 | Geneva
Improving access to the best treatment for second stage T.b.gambiense

08 May 09 | Geneva
WHO includes combination of eflornithine and nifurtimox in its Essential List of Medicine for the treatment of human African trypanosomiasis
English | French

07 May 09 | Geneva
Fifth International Course on African Trypanosomoses, Nairobi, 5–23 October 2009

09 Jan. 09 | Geneva
Tsetse fly survey in Swaziland, April to May 2008
By R.K. Saini and P. Simarro [pdf 3.2mb]
Full report

More information

Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases