A deadly tropical disease known as sleeping sickness has been eliminated from Kenya in a significant public health triumph.

The East African nation is the 10th on the continent to achieve the milestone, but also the most populous to do so.

Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) results from the parasite Trypanosoma brucei, that spreads to humans through the bites of the tsetse fly. As with many neglected tropical diseases, its hunting ground is rural areas or poor communities with limited access to medical services.

Replicating in the bloodstream and lymphatic system, the mature parasite causes personality changes, confusion, poor coordination, and disrupted sleep cycles that give the disease its name.

“I congratulate the government and people of Kenya on this landmark achievement,”

See Full Page