Kenya Achieves Milestone in Public Health by Eliminating Sleeping Sickness, According to WHO

Kenya has successfully eliminated sleeping sickness, also known as human African trypanosomiasis, as a significant public health concern, the World Health Organization announced on Friday. This achievement marks Kenya as the 10th country to reach this milestone, highlighting substantial progress in combating this disease across Africa.

Sleeping sickness is a parasitic disease transmitted by tsetse flies, which acquire the Trypanosoma brucei parasite from infected humans or animals. The disease is primarily endemic in sub-Saharan Africa and poses a severe health threat, especially to rural communities engaged in agriculture, fishing, animal husbandry, or hunting. Without effective treatment, the disease is often fatal.

The parasite can penetrate the blood-brain barrier, leading to neurological symptoms such as behavioral changes, confusion, sensory disturbances, and poor coordination. The characteristic sleep disturbances give the disease its name and typically appear in advanced stages. Historically, Kenya first reported cases in the early 20th century.

WHO Chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus congratulated the Kenyan government and its people for this landmark achievement, emphasizing that Kenya now joins other nations—including Benin, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Rwanda, Togo, and Uganda—in eradicating sleeping sickness as a public health threat. This victory is a significant step toward eliminating neglected tropical diseases across the continent.

The elimination of sleeping sickness involves robust vector control, active disease surveillance, timely diagnosis, and treatment. This progress underscores the importance of sustained public health efforts and international cooperation in combating tropical diseases.

For more details, visit the original report at MedicalXpress.