Sleeping sickness surveillance: an essential step towards elimination

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Infectious Diseases
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Sleeping sickness (human African trypanosomiasis) has resurged to alarming levels in sub-Saharan Africa.
• An estimated 300,000-500,000 people are currently infected, with 60 million at risk.
• Existing surveillance covers only a fraction of those at risk, necessitating improved control strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a step-by-step village-based surveillance method for sleeping sickness.
• To demonstrate the feasibility of controlling and eliminating the disease as a public health problem.
• To integrate epidemiological data with geographical information systems (GIS) for enhanced disease mapping and monitoring.

Main Methods:

• A multi-approach surveillance system combining passive and active methods, tailored to village epidemiological status.
• Utilizing Global Positioning Systems (GPS) to collect geographical coordinates of villages.
• Transmitting data via the internet to the World Health Organization (WHO) for analysis and mapping using GIS software.

Main Results:

• The described surveillance method has been implemented in several countries, coordinated by the WHO.
• The process allows for the generation of thematic maps illustrating the epidemiological status of affected villages.
• Examples from the Central African Republic, Cameroon, and Gabon demonstrate the practical application of the surveillance and mapping process.

Conclusions:

• A village-based, GPS/GIS-integrated surveillance system is technically feasible for controlling sleeping sickness.
• This approach facilitates targeted interventions and can aid in eliminating the disease as a public health concern.
• Enhanced surveillance and data mapping are crucial for managing the resurgence of sleeping sickness in endemic regions.