Report of the fourth WHO stakeholders meeting on gambiense and rhodesiense human African trypanosomiasis elimination: virtual meeting, 1–3 June 2021
Overview
Since 2000, concerted efforts by national programmes, supported by public–private partnerships, nongovernmental organizations, donors and academia under the auspices and coordination of the World Health Organization (WHO), have produced important achievements in the control of human African trypanosomiasis (HAT). As a consequence, the disease was targeted for elimination as a public health problem by 2020. The Sixty-sixth World Health Assembly endorsed this goal in resolution WHA66.12 on neglected tropical diseases, adopted in 2013.
National sleeping sickness control programmes (NSSCPs) are core to progressing control of the disease and in adapting to the different epidemiological situations. The involvement of different partners, as well as the support and trust of long-term donors, has been crucial for the achievements. Almost 20 years of partnership among WHO, Sanofi and Bayer have enabled WHO to strengthen and sustain financial, technical and material support for the implementation of control activities in countries where HAT is endemic. The long-term support from the Government of Belgium in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has also been essential.
WHO has now convened the fourth stakeholders meeting on the elimination of gambiense HAT (g-HAT) and rhodesiense HAT (r-HAT), for the first time as a joint meeting held virtually in June 2021. The previous meetings on g-HAT in 2014, 2016, and 2018, as well as on r-HAT in 2015, 2017 and 2019 reinforced the partnership and commitment for HAT elimination and structured the mechanisms of collaboration within the WHO network for HAT elimination. The network includes NSSCPs, groups developing new tools, international and nongovernmental organizations involved in disease control, and donors.
An outstanding reduction in the number of HAT cases has been achieved, reaching the global threshold targeted for the elimination of HAT as a public health problem three years in advance, in 2017. Accordingly, the area at risk has been importantly reduced as well.
The new road map for neglected tropical diseases 2021−2030 with the target to interrupt the transmission of g-HAT requires the strengthened and sustained efforts of all stakeholders, national authorities and partners. It will take disproportionally high efforts and innovative strategies to find the last cases of g-HAT. Given the limited resources and other competing public health priorities, this is a challenge that requires our joint commitment.
