Kenya receives WHO certification for eliminating sleeping sickness in Geneva

KENYA—Kenya has received global recognition at the 79th World Health Assembly in Geneva after the World Health Organization officially certified the country as having eliminated Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT), commonly known as sleeping sickness.

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus presented the certificate to Kenya’s delegation, acknowledging the country’s sustained public health efforts, strong leadership, and cross-sector collaboration in tackling one of Africa’s most persistent neglected tropical diseases.

Dr. Tedros specifically commended Kenya’s Ministry of Health, describing the certification as a significant public health milestone, one that places Kenya among a small group of countries to have achieved this status.

Decades of Work Behind the Achievement

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale received the recognition on behalf of the government and the people of Kenya, describing it as the result of decades of sustained commitment and coordinated action.

That work involved national and county governments, frontline health workers, laboratory teams, researchers, and development partners all pulling in the same direction.

Sleeping sickness had posed a serious public health threat in parts of western Kenya for more than a century, with affected areas including Busia, Bungoma, Siaya, Homa Bay, Migori, and Narok counties.

The disease, transmitted by the tsetse fly bite, attacks the nervous system and can be fatal without treatment.

Through strengthened surveillance, targeted vector control, and improved diagnostic systems, Kenya recorded its last indigenous case in 2009.

WHO validated the elimination in June 2025, and Kenya made a national announcement in August 2025 before formally receiving the certification in Geneva.

Community Trust as a Foundation

CS Duale credited affected communities as central to the achievement, noting that their participation and trust in local health systems enabled effective surveillance and prevention.

Without community buy-in, he said, the sustained monitoring required to reach and maintain elimination status would not have been feasible.

Alongside community engagement, investments in frontline capacity, including laboratory diagnostics and county-level response systems, proved critical in closing the gaps that had allowed the disease to persist for generations.

The Work Continues

Despite the milestone, CS Duale was clear that elimination does not mark the end of the effort.

He stressed the importance of maintaining vigilance through continued surveillance, early detection, and the full integration of HAT services into Kenya’s routine health systems to prevent any resurgence.

He also reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to sharing its experience with other countries and to supporting regional efforts to eliminate neglected tropical diseases across Africa as part of the country’s broader contribution to global health equity.