Kenya has received global recognition at the 79th World Health Assembly after successfully eliminating Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT), commonly known as sleeping sickness.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale accepted the official certificate from the World Health Organization (WHO), marking Kenya’s achievement in eliminating the disease as a public health problem.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus commended Kenya’s leadership, the Ministry of Health, and other stakeholders for the milestone, describing it as a major public health success.
In a statement, Duale termed the recognition a great honour for the Government and people of Kenya, saying it reflects decades of commitment, resilience, and collaboration across multiple sectors.
Sleeping sickness had remained a major public health threat in Kenya for more than a century, particularly in western counties, including Busia, Bungoma, Siaya, Homa Bay, Migori, and Narok.
Following WHO validation in June 2025 and a national public announcement in August 2025, Kenya has maintained zero indigenous cases of the disease since 2009.
Duale attributed the achievement to affected communities for their cooperation in surveillance and prevention efforts. He also recognised the contribution of frontline health workers, researchers, laboratory teams, county governments, and technical experts in strengthening diagnosis, surveillance, and response systems.
However, the Cabinet Secretary noted that elimination does not mark the end of the fight against the disease.
He said sustaining the gains will require continued surveillance, early detection, vector control, public awareness, and integration of sleeping sickness services into routine health systems.
Duale reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to sharing lessons learnt and supporting regional efforts aimed at eliminating neglected tropical diseases across Africa.
He thanked the WHO for the recognition, reiterating Kenya’s dedication to promoting global health equity and disease eradication.
The first cases of HAT in Kenya were detected in the early 20th century. Since then, Kenya has engaged in consistent control activities, with no new indigenous cases reported for over 10 years. The last autochthonous case was detected in 2009, and the last two exported cases, infected in the Masai Mara National Reserve, were detected in 2012.
By Wangari Ndirangu
