Chad Achieves Milestone by Eradicating Sleeping Sickness, Moving Closer to WHO’s Global Objectives
The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially commended Chad for successfully eradicating the gambiense form of human African trypanosomiasis, widely known as sleeping sickness, from its public health agenda. This accomplishment represents Chad’s first success in eliminating a neglected tropical disease (NTD).
As of 2024, Chad has become the first nation in the year to be recognized for eliminating an NTD and is now the 51st country globally to reach this significant milestone. This progress marks a pivotal advancement towards WHO’s ambitious goal of achieving elimination across 100 countries by the year 2030. The target is part of broader objectives outlined in the Road Map for Neglected Tropical Diseases (2021–2030).
“I offer my heartfelt congratulations to both the government and citizens of Chad on this notable achievement,” stated Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO. “It is inspiring to witness Chad joining other nations that have successfully eliminated at least one NTD. We are getting closer every day to our goal.
Sleeping sickness initially manifests with flu-like symptoms but can escalate into more severe complications such as behavioral changes, confusion, irregular sleep patterns, and potentially coma or death if untreated. Enhanced access to early diagnostics and treatment options—paired with effective surveillance—has enabled nations like Chad not just to manage but also eliminate transmission.
As it stands today, seven countries have achieved validation from WHO regarding their success in eradicating the gambiense variant: Togo (2020), Benin (2021), Côte d’Ivoire (2021), Uganda (2022), Equatorial Guinea (2022), Ghana (2023), and now Chad in 2024. Meanwhile, Rwanda has been recognized for eliminating the rhodesiense form as a public health concern since being validated in 2022.
“The elimination of sleeping sickness signifies our unwavering dedication toward enhancing public health within our nation,” remarked Honorable Dr. Abdel Modjid Abderahim Mahamat, Minister of Health for Chad. “This triumph stems from years of collective hard work by healthcare professionals, community members, and various partners—and we aspire to maintain this momentum as we address other NTDs for healthier futures across all sectors.”
According to data compiled up until June 2024 within Africa’s WHO region: twenty nations have eradicated at least one neglected tropical disease; Togo tops this list with four eliminated diseases while both Benin and Ghana have successfully removed three.
A Note on Human African Trypanosomiasis:
This parasitic condition commonly referred to as sleeping sickness occurs due primarily through bites from infected tsetse flies that harbor Trypanosoma parasites—a disease primarily found across West and Central Africa where over 92% cases arise from Trypanosoma brucei gambiense. Notably representative only within Chadian borders—the remaining variant caused by Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, predominantly affects East and Southern African regions where it contributes fewer cases overall.
The main strategies employed against sleeping sickness involve minimizing infection reservoirs alongside controlling tsetse fly populations while continuous screening efforts help identify high-risk individuals early on—facilitating prompt diagnosis that averts severe progression requiring complex treatment regimens associated with later stages thereby greatly enhancing cure prospects.
For further information regarding Chadian advancements against human African trypanosomiasis as a critical health issue one can explore details available in a recent dedicated issue highlighted within WHOs’ Weekly Epidemiological Record.
