Sleeping Sickness

Sleeping Sickness: The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently announced that Guinea has successfully eliminated the gambiense form of human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), also known as sleeping sickness.

  • About Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT): It is a parasitic disease transmitted by infected tsetse flies.

o Symptoms include fever, headaches, joint pain, and later neurological issues like confusion, disrupted sleep, and behavioral changes.

o If left untreated, HAT can be fatal, In the 1990s, HAT resurfaced in Guinea's coastal areas, near Conakry, due to human activity in mangroves.

o Guinea joins seven other countries that have eliminated the gambiense form of HAT: Togo, Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Uganda, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, and Chad.

  • About WHO: Established in 1948, is a UN specialized agency that promotes health, ensures global safety, and supports vulnerable populations.