Sleeping sickness still threatens Congo
Sleeping sickness is a neglected
tropical disease caused by the tsetse fly which is present in about ten African
countries, but whose epicentre is the DRC with 85% of reported cases, and which
remains a public health problem in that country.
Belgium, whose expertise is
recognized worldwide in the fight against sleeping sickness, and its partners
are determined to support the DRC in its fight to eliminate it.
In 2017, Belgium decided to
strengthen its support in order to achieve the elimination of the disease which
particularly affects the most disadvantaged populations.
In partnership with the Bill and
Melinda Gates Foundation and the Congolese Ministry of Health, an innovative
and multidimensional approach has been developed, based on 4 components. These
include the development of a strategy to eliminate the disease, the development
of new technologies for the detection/confirmation of new cases, the
development of new innovative treatments, the control of tsetse fly outbreaks
and rigorous scientific monitoring.
The Belgian investment in the
fight against this neglected tropical disease amounts to almost 36.5 million
euros over 9 years.
Belgium has always considered its
support for the sleeping sickness control programme as an important priority of
its bilateral cooperation with the DRC.
That is why, for more than 20
years, Belgian development cooperation has made continuous efforts through
various channels to continue investing in the fight against this disease. This
support has been implemented via Enabel, the Belgian development cooperation
agency, and via ITM, the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, and has
resulted in both financial and expert support to the National HAT Control
Programme (PNLTHA) managed by the Congolese Ministry of Health.
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