Sleeping sickness

Guinea has successfully eliminated the gambiense form of human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), also known as sleeping sickness, becoming the first country to do so.

• This milestone was recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO)on January 29, 2025, ahead of Neglected Tropical Diseases Day observed on January 30.
• Sleeping sickness is transmitted by the bite of the tsetse fly and has two stages:

• The hemolymphatic stage involves symptoms like fever, headaches, joint pain, and itching.
• The neurological stage leads to confusion, sleep disturbances, and other severe neurological symptoms

• Other countries, including Togo, Benin, Uganda, and Equatorial Guinea, have also made progress toward eliminating this disease.