English News | Sub Sahara on its way to eradicate sleeping sickness

Sub Sahara Africa on its way to eradicate sleeping sickness

According to the World Health Organization, they will intend this objective during the next ten years with the help of Sanofi’s laboratory, which has been the partner of the organization for twenty years.

The sleeping sickness, which is transmitted by the tsetse fly, has been spreading for over a decade. It especially affects the Democratic Republic of Congo. Only 1 000 of cases per year have been identified, compared to 37 000 in 1990. If the bet is a success for the organization, it would be the third disease to disappear, after smallpox and poliomyelitis. About 3 countries are still concerned about the spreading of the sickness.

400 000 persons

Total of infected

250 000 persons

Infected in the Democratic Republic of Congo

100 000 persons

Infected in Angola

The World Health Organization and Sanofi investigate more than 100 millions euros to eradicate the sleeping sickness. Dr Dagne, responsible of the prevention and neglected tropical disease treatment at the WHO, get excited about the news : « This disease should be eliminated by 2030 ». Paul Hudson, CEO of Sanofi, make the elimination of the disease his top priority. A new medicine called acobozirole has been developped by the laboratory with the help of the DNDI, and will be soon dispensed. Currently, the medicine is in medical phase.

Written by Camille Renaudot