Control of sleeping sickness due to Trypanosoma brucei gambiense

Sleeping sickness due to Trypanosoma brucei gambiense is endemic in 23 African countries and an estimated 45 million people are exposed to infection. The relatively low incidence of the disease (about 10 000 new cases each year) is mainly a result of 50 years of regular medical surveillance and treatment in combination with tsetse control where indicated and possible. The present article considers the significant developments in research in the field and assesses the impact of these findings on techniques used in the control of the disease. The World Health Organization has recently established an action programme for sleeping sickness control to organize and coordinate medical surveillance, treatment of infected individuals, and vector control activities. Among its objectives, the programme aims to provide support for national control services in the form of technical expertise, training of staff, and provision of newly developed equipment for diagnosis and treatment. The programme is also closely associated with the research activities supported by the UNDP/World Bank/WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases.