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[Sleeping sickness: forgotten research?]
A Buguet1, B Bouteille, R Cespuglio
1Institut de médecine tropicale du service de santé des armées, Le Pharo, B.P. 46, 13998 Marseille, Armées, France. imtssa@wanadoo.fr
Medecine Tropicale : Revue Du Corps De Sante Colonial
|October 29, 2003
Summary
Research on sleeping sickness, human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), shows stagnant publication numbers. Interest appears to have waned compared to malaria, despite continued funding for HAT research networks.
Area of Science:
- Neglected tropical diseases
- Medical research funding
- Epidemiology
Context:
- Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), or sleeping sickness, is a vector-borne parasitic disease.
- Funding for HAT research has been a concern amidst competing global health priorities.
- Publication trends can indicate research interest and momentum.
Purpose:
- To assess the trend in research publications on human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) over the past 14 years.
- To compare HAT research output with that of malaria.
- To evaluate the impact of funding on HAT research visibility.
Summary:
- A review of the Medline database over 14 years revealed stagnant publication numbers for HAT.
- In contrast, malaria research publications showed a steady increase during the same period.
- This suggests a potential decline in research interest in HAT, possibly shifting towards other endemic diseases, despite ongoing financial support for research networks.
Impact:
- Findings highlight a potential waning of scientific and public interest in HAT research.
- The study underscores the need to re-evaluate research priorities and funding strategies for neglected tropical diseases like HAT.
- A multidisciplinary approach, encompassing sleep, endocrine rhythms, biomarkers, pathophysiology, and drug development, is crucial for advancing HAT research.