The World Health Organization(WHO) has declared that Togo has become the first country in Africa to eliminate human African Trypanosomiasis or sleeping sickness
According to WHO , Togo has not reported any cases in the past 10 years.The west African country managed to achieve this after more than two decades of sustained political commitment,surveillance and screening of cases.
Sleeping sickness also called "Human African trypanosomiasis" , is a widespread tropical disease that can be fatal if not treated.
tsetse fly (image credit- CDC.gov)
Sleeping Sickness is a vector-borne parasitic disease .
Caused by: It is caused by infection with protozoan parasites belonging to the genus Trypanosoma.
Transmission : It is spread by the bite of an infected tsetse fly (Glossina Genus), a species native to the African continent.Endemic: more than 60 million people who live mainly in rural parts of East , West, and central Africa are at risk of contracting sleeping sickness.Symptoms: fever, swollen lymph glands, aching muscles and joints, headaches and irritability. In advanced stages, the disease attacks the central nervous system and people present with changes in personality , alteration of biological clock, confusion, slurred speech, seizures and difficulty in walking and talking. These problems can develop over many years and if not treated, the person dies.
Togo: It is a country in West Africa and Lome is its capital.
source: who.int
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