Human African Trypanosomiasis Below 1000 Cases
WHO reported sleeping sickness cases fell below 1,000 for the first time in 80 years
January 01, 2018
A Disease That Robbed Sleep and Life
African sleeping sickness, known medically as human African trypanosomiasis, is caused by a parasite transmitted by the tsetse fly. The parasite eventually crosses into the brain, causing confusion, disrupted sleep cycles, and death if untreated. The disease devastated populations across sub-Saharan Africa for centuries. In the early 20th century, epidemics killed hundreds of thousands of people in central Africa. At its peak in the late 1990s, the disease infected over 300,000 people per year.
Decades of Control Efforts
Controlling sleeping sickness required a massive, sustained effort across multiple fronts. Health workers screened millions of people in remote areas using mobile testing units. Tsetse fly populations were reduced through trapping and targeted insecticide use. Treatments improved over the decades, though older drugs for the brain-invasive stage were toxic and required hospitalization. A new oral drug called fexinidazole, developed with support from the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative, was approved in 2018 and dramatically simplified treatment.
Reaching Elimination
By 2022, the number of new sleeping sickness cases had fallen below 1,000 per year for the first time in recorded history. The WHO set a target for elimination as a public health problem by 2030, and progress has been remarkable. The campaign represents one of the most significant achievements in tropical medicine in recent decades. It relied on sustained funding, cross-border cooperation, community engagement, and medical innovation working together over decades. The story of sleeping sickness shows what is possible when global health is taken seriously. Check our date calculator for recent milestones.