Kenya has eradicated deadly sleeping sickness: “Milestone”
Kenya has succeeded in eradicating African sleeping sickness. The World Health Organization confirms this, reports the French radio channel RFI.
– An important milestone for Kenya, says Health Minister Aden Duale.
The disease is spread by the bite of tsetse flies and without treatment the disease is almost always fatal. But through surveillance, investment and targeted healthcare efforts, Kenya has fought the disease.
The entire continent is moving in the right direction. In the late 1990s, almost 40,000 cases of African sleeping sickness were reported annually in sub-Saharan Africa. But since 2019, fewer than 1,000 cases have been reported – in total. The radio channel describes it as a “remarkable” achievement.
Sleeping sickness Kenya's second disease victory in seven years
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus congratulates the Kenyan government and the entire Kenyan people on the "groundbreaking announcement" that African sleeping sickness has now been eradicated.
- This is another step towards making Africa free of neglected tropical diseases, he says in a press release.
Neglected tropical diseases, known in English as NTDs, are a group of diseases that often affect people in poorer parts of the world. They are called neglected because they receive little attention and resources, despite affecting millions of people.
Kenya eliminated another NTD in 2018: Guinea worm infection.
A total of 57 countries have managed to eradicate at least one NTD. Ten of them have defeated African sleeping sickness.
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