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[Sleeping sickness: one hundred years of control strategy evolution]
F J Louis1, P P Simarro, P Lucas
1Cellule inter-régionale de surveillance et de lutte contre la trypanosomiase humaine africaine, OMS CDS/CSR, BP 155, Yaoundé, Cameroun. louisfj_who@yahoo.fr
Bulletin De La Societe De Pathologie Exotique (1990)
|April 17, 2003
Summary
Sleeping sickness, a neglected tropical disease, has seen historical challenges in control. Recent global efforts aim to eradicate it by integrating existing strategies with new approaches, despite resource limitations.
Area of Science:
- Medical Parasitology
- Tropical Medicine
- Public Health
Context:
- Sleeping sickness (human African trypanosomiasis) has a long history, with significant advancements in understanding its parasites and vectors during the 19th century.
- Early control measures relied on patient isolation and population relocation due to a lack of effective treatments.
- The discovery of atoxyl in 1905 marked the first therapeutic intervention, followed by successful vector control initiatives.
Purpose:
- To provide a historical overview of sleeping sickness control strategies.
- To highlight the evolution of treatment and prevention methods.
- To underscore the challenges and renewed efforts in combating the disease.
Summary:
- The 20th century saw the triumph of mobile control units, leading to the belief of eradication by the 1960s.
- A resurgence occurred from the 1960s to the 1990s due to the integration of prevention and care, excluding vertical systems.
- Despite being an "orphan disease," renewed global focus and funding agreements in the 21st century aim for its eradication.
Impact:
- Historical control efforts, including mobile units and vector control, significantly impacted disease prevalence.
- The shift towards integrated care systems inadvertently led to a resurgence, emphasizing the need for tailored strategies.
- Current global initiatives, supported by international agreements, strive to eliminate sleeping sickness as a public health threat.