WHO certifies Kenya sleeping sickness-free

WHO has certified Kenya free of human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) as a public health challenge, making it the 10th country to achieve this milestone. The disease, spread by tsetse flies, causes severe illness and was last detected in Kenya in 2012

Nairobi: The World Health Organisation (WHO) certified Kenya as having eliminated human African trypanosomiasis, also known as sleeping sickness, as a public health challenge, making it the 10th country to reach this critical milestone.

“I congratulate the government and people of Kenya on this landmark achievement,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a statement issued in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital.

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“Kenya joins the growing ranks of countries freeing their populations of human African trypanosomiasis. This is another step toward making Africa free of neglected tropical diseases,” Tedros added.

Human African trypanosomiasis is the second neglected tropical disease to be eliminated in Kenya, following the country’s certification as Guinea worm disease-free in 2018.

The disease is caused by protozoan parasites transmitted by infected tsetse flies, according to the WHO. Symptoms include fever, headaches, joint pain, and, in advanced stages, neurological symptoms like confusion, disrupted sleep patterns, and behavioral changes.

Aden Duale, Kenya’s cabinet secretary for health, said the WHO validation of sleeping sickness elimination marked a historic step toward enhancing public health security in the country, fostering economic growth.

Kenya detected the first case of sleeping sickness in the early 20th century and has since engaged in robust mitigation activities. The last two exported cases were detected in 2012 in the world-famous Maasai Mara National Reserve, Xinhua news agency reported.

In recent years, the country has enhanced sleeping sickness surveillance in 12 health facilities across six historically endemic counties, which serve as sentinel sites. This effort is complemented by the use of modern diagnostic tools and the training of personnel to avert new transmission.

Abdourahmane Diallo, the WHO representative in Kenya, said forward-looking leadership and partnerships were pivotal in accelerating progress toward sleeping sickness elimination in the East African country.

Human African trypanosomiasis, also known as sleeping sickness, is a vector-borne parasitic disease. It is caused by protozoans of the genus Trypanosoma, transmitted to humans by bites of tsetse flies (Glossina), which have acquired the parasites from infected humans or animals.

Tsetse flies inhabit sub-Saharan Africa and only certain species transmit the disease. Rural populations which depend on agriculture, fishing, animal husbandry or hunting are the most exposed. In many regions where tsetse flies are found, HAT is not. The disease has a focal distribution ranging from single villages to entire regions, and the incidence can vary from one village to the next.