A major milestone in Guinea’s health sector has been achieved: the eradication of the Gambian form of human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) from the country. This variant of HAT, the only one transmitted in Guinea, is the first neglected tropical disease (NTD) to be eliminated as a public health problem in the country. This development was announced by Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO, on the eve of World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day, celebrated on 30 January. HAT, also known as sleeping sickness, is a vector-borne parasitic disease caused by infected tsetse flies. In response to the increase in HAT cases in Guinea in the 1990s, the Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene established the National Programme for the Control of HAT in 2002, with the support of WHO and the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), and later partners such as the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative and the Institut Pasteur de Guinée. Significant progress in the field has been made thanks to advancements in diagnostic techniques, treatment methods, and ongoing financial support from the WHO and other partners. As a result, the incidence of the disease has been reduced dramatically, with less than one case per 10,000 people in all endemic areas.
January 29, 2025
