WHO Chief Pats Guinea For Fighting Out Sleeping Sickness

New Delhi: World Health Organisation Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Thursday congratulated Guinea for eliminating human African trypanosomiasis or sleeping sickness -- a neglected tropical disease.

Human African trypanosomiasis is a vector-borne parasitic disease caused by infected tsetse flies.

The symptoms typically include fever, headaches, joint pain, and, in advanced stages, neurological symptoms like confusion, disrupted sleep patterns, and behavioural changes.

It is the first neglected tropical disease to be eliminated in the country and is an important achievement in this public health field on World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day, marked every year on January 30.

“Congratulations, #Guinea, for eliminating human African trypanosomiasis or sleeping sickness,” said Ghebreyesus, in a post on the social media platform X.

"This milestone is a testament to the dedication of the health workers, communities, and the government, but also a beacon of hope for nations still battling neglected tropical diseases," he added.

What is sleeping sickness?

In human African trypanosomiasis, parasites are passed to humans through the bite of infected tsetse flies, which acquire the infection from humans or animals carrying the pathogenic parasites.

The disease are caused by two types of parasitic protozoans.

Trypanosoma brucei gambiense is found in 24 countries in West and Central Africa. These account for more than 92 per cent of cases.

Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense is found in 13 countries in East and Southern Africa.