The World Health Organisation (WHO) has officially recognised Kenya as having eliminated Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT), or sleeping sickness, as a public health problem.
The milestone follows over a century of battling the tsetse fly–borne disease, which once put more than seven million people at risk in counties such as Busia, Bungoma, Siaya, Homa Bay, Migori, and Narok. No indigenous cases have been reported since 2009.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale attributed the success to a comprehensive national strategy involving surveillance, establishment of referral facilities, improved laboratory diagnostics, health worker training, and collaboration with livestock and wildlife sectors on tsetse and parasite control.
“Since 2009, no indigenous cases have been reported and this was achieved through a comprehensive national strategy in terms of surveillance, establishment of sentinel and referral facilities, strengthening laboratory capacity for diagnosis and also training of health workers for early detection, as well as coordinating with the livestock and wildlife sector on tsetse and parasite control.”
Kenya submitted its elimination dossier to WHO in 2023 and received official validation on June 16, 2025.
Duale emphasised that elimination does not mean eradication, urging continued investment in surveillance, vector control, and integration of HAT services into the public health system.
He noted that the government is strengthening the National Public Health Institute to enhance epidemic intelligence and rapid response capacity, linking community-level detection to national and global systems.
WHO Kenya Representative Dr. Adiele Onyenze praised the achievement as a model for other African nations, noting Kenya is now the 10th country globally and fifth in Africa to reach this milestone. He highlighted that this is Kenya’s second major victory against neglected tropical diseases after being certified Guinea worm–free in 2018.
Dr. Onyenze warned against complacency, stressing the need for continuous vigilance, robust surveillance, and regional cooperation to prevent disease resurgence. He lauded the efforts of government, health workers, and research institutions, saying Kenya’s achievement proves Africa can lead in global health.
[Kenya News Agency]
