A statement by the World Health Organization, WHO has said Togo is the first African country to eliminate sleeping sickness. This comes after the country had been validated of eliminating the disease after recording no case in the past ten years.

The WHO’s Regional Director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti referred the the country as a pathfinder “Togo is a pathfinder in eliminating sleeping sickness, a disease which has threatened millions of Africans”.

Sleeping sickness also known as human African trypanosomiasis is caused by parasites which are transmitted by infected tsetse flies and is found in 36 countries in sub Saharan Africa. The disease can result to death if left untreated.

Photo credit: Science photo library (sleeping sickness parasite)
Source BBC
By Moma Sandrine