Kenya has officially been validated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as having eliminated Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT), also known as sleeping sickness, as a public health problem.
Kenya becomes the tenth African country to achieve this milestone, marking its second neglected tropical disease (NTD) elimination after Guinea worm disease was eradicated in 2018.
“This validation marks a major public health milestone for Kenya, as we celebrate the elimination of a deadly disease in our country. The achievement will not only protect our people but also pave the way for renewed economic growth and prosperity,” said Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale.
Sleeping sickness is a parasitic disease transmitted by the bite of infected tsetse flies. In Kenya, the illness is caused by Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, which progresses rapidly and can be fatal within weeks if untreated.
Early symptoms include fever, headache, joint pain, and itching before advancing to confusion, poor coordination, disturbed sleep cycles, and eventually coma.
Rural populations who depend on farming, fishing, animal husbandry, or hunting are most at risk. While the disease is now considered eliminated as a public health problem in Kenya, health authorities have pledged to maintain active surveillance to guard against any re-emergence.
“I congratulate the government and people of Kenya on this landmark achievement; Kenya joins the growing ranks of countries freeing their populations of human African trypanosomiasis. This is another step towards making Africa free of neglected tropical diseases,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
The first cases of HAT in Kenya were detected in the early 20th century, with the disease persisting for decades in parts of the Rift Valley, Nyanza, and Coast regions.
According to Ministry of Health records, Kenya reported dozens of cases annually in the mid-20th century, with outbreaks in tsetse-infested areas posing serious health and economic risks.
The last indigenous case was recorded in 2009, and the last two imported cases, linked to the Maasai Mara National Reserve, were detected in 2012. Since then, intensified surveillance and control have prevented new infections.
To reach this milestone, Kenya’s strategy included strengthening HAT surveillance in 12 health facilities across six historically endemic counties, equipping them with modern diagnostic tools, and training clinicians in detection techniques.
The Kenya Tsetse and Trypanosomiasis Eradication Council (KENTTEC) also intensified monitoring and control of tsetse flies and animal trypanosomiasis, both within and beyond former hotspot areas.
“This key milestone reflects Kenya’s efforts and commitment over many years through collaboration between national and county governments, research institutions, partners, and communities,” said Dr Patrick Amoth, Director-General for Health.
“We remain fully committed to sustaining surveillance and quality care in line with WHO recommendations,” he added.
WHO and partners including FIND, have pledged ongoing technical support to ensure rapid response if cases reappear. The global health agency also maintains a reserve stock of medicines for emergency treatment.
With this achievement, Kenya joins Benin, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Guinea, Rwanda, Togo, and Uganda as countries that have successfully eliminated HAT as a public health problem.
Globally, 57 countries have eliminated at least one NTD, marking significant progress in tackling diseases that disproportionately affect the world’s poorest communities.
By Violet Otindo
