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Controlling sleeping sickness – a review

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 August 2009

S. C. WELBURN ,
I. MAUDLIN  and
P. P. SIMARRO
S. C. WELBURN*
Affiliation:
Centre for Infectious Diseases, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Summerhall, Edinburgh, EH9 1QH
I. MAUDLIN
Affiliation:
Centre for Infectious Diseases, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Summerhall, Edinburgh, EH9 1QH
P. P. SIMARRO
Affiliation:
World Health Organization, Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases, Innovative and Intensified Disease Management, Geneva, Switzerland
*
Corresponding author: S. C. Welburn, Centre for Infectious Diseases, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Summerhall, Edinburgh, EH9 1QH. Tel: +44 131 650 6228. Fax: 44 (131) 650 7348. E-mail: sue.welburn@ed.ac.uk
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Summary

Following a period characterized by severe epidemics of sleeping sickness, restoration of effective control and surveillance systems has raised the question of eliminating the disease from sub-Saharan Africa. Given sufficient political and financial support, elimination is now considered a reasonable aim in countries reporting zero or less than 100 cases per year. This success may lead health authorities across the affected region to downgrade the disease from ‘neglected’ to simply being ignored. In view of the significant levels of under-reporting of sleeping sickness mortality in rural communities, this could be a short-sighted policy. Loss of capacity to deal with new epidemics, which can arise as a consequence of loss of commitment or civil upheaval, would have serious consequences. The present period should be seen as a clear opportunity for public-private partnerships to develop simpler and more cost-effective tools and strategies for sustainable sleeping sickness control and surveillance, including diagnostics, treatment and vector control.

Keywords

Sleeping sicknessneglected diseasessurveillancetsetse control
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 136 , Special Issue 14: Transmission cycles in protozoan parasites , December 2009 , pp. 1943 - 1949
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

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