Guinea triumphs over sleeping sickness

GUINEA—The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially recognized Guinea for eliminating the gambiense form of human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), commonly known as sleeping sickness, as a public health problem.

This milestone marks the first neglected tropical disease to be eliminated in the country and comes just ahead of World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day on January 30.

Sleeping sickness is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites transmitted through tsetse fly bites.

It begins with symptoms such as fever, headaches, and joint pain but can progress to severe neurological complications, including confusion, disrupted sleep patterns, and behavioral changes.

In the 1990s, the disease surged along Guinea’s coastline, particularly in mangrove regions, due to increasing human activity driven by economic and population growth in Conakry.

To combat the rising threat, Guinea’s Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene launched the National Programme for the Control of HAT in 2002.

 With support from WHO and the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), and later additional partners like the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative and the Institut Pasteur de Guinée, the program focused on mass medical screenings to detect and treat cases early.

A major breakthrough came in 2012 with the introduction of vector control interventions designed to reduce contact between humans and tsetse flies.

Initially piloted in the Boffa-East area, the strategy expanded nationwide by 2016.

 Each year, approximately 15,000 insecticide-treated mini-screens were deployed to attract and kill tsetse flies, significantly reducing transmission.

Despite progress, Guinea faced setbacks during the Ebola outbreak (2013–2015) and the COVID-19 pandemic (2020).

Medical activities were disrupted, leading to a temporary increase in HAT cases. However, the program adapted by implementing door-to-door screenings to ensure continued disease control.

Community involvement was crucial, as local support helped maintain cultural acceptance and participation in these efforts.

Scientific advancements in diagnostics, improved treatment access, and sustained financial and technical backing from WHO and other partners played a vital role in Guinea’s success.

As a result, HAT cases dropped below WHO’s threshold of one case per 10,000 inhabitants in all endemic areas, achieving a significant public health victory.

Dr. Oumar Diouhé BAH, Guinea’s Minister of Health and Public Hygiene, acknowledged that eliminating sleeping sickness was the result of years of dedication from the government, healthcare workers, partners, and communities.

Similarly, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, praised Guinea’s efforts, emphasizing that vulnerable families can now live free from the burden of this deadly disease.

She reaffirmed WHO’s commitment to supporting other countries in eliminating sleeping sickness and other neglected tropical diseases across Africa.

Guinea now joins seven other countries that have successfully eliminated the gambiense form of sleeping sickness: Togo (2020), Benin (2021), Côte d’Ivoire (2021), Uganda (2022), Equatorial Guinea (2022), Ghana (2023), and Chad (2024).

Additionally, Rwanda became the first country to eliminate the rhodesiense form of the disease, as validated by WHO in 2022.

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