Chad has officially marked a historic public health milestone with the elimination of Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT), commonly known as sleeping sickness, as a public health problem.
The celebratory ceremony was held in the capital on Wednesday and brought together senior health officials, international development partners, and representatives from regions previously affected by the disease.
Dr John Eyong Efobi, speaking on behalf of the World Health Organization (WHO) Representative, recalled the WHO’s official validation of Chad’s achievement on 4 April 2024. “This is a victory of life over a long-silent suffering. Chad becomes a source of inspiration for the entire continent,” he said.
He credited the success to collaborative efforts between the Chadian government, health professionals, local communities, and international partners. Dr Eyong also called for sustained vigilance, warning that eliminating the disease as a public health threat is only a step toward the ultimate goal: total interruption of transmission.
Presiding over the event, Dabsou Guidaoussou, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Public Health and Prevention, extended heartfelt thanks to all stakeholders involved.
He dedicated the elimination certificate — awarded at the 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva — to President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, praising his commitment to overhauling the national health system.
Sleeping sickness, caused by the Trypanosoma parasite and transmitted by the tsetse fly, had historically plagued regions including Mandoul, Moissala, Maro, Tapol, and Goré — all located in the provinces of Moyen-Chari, Logone Oriental, Mandoul, and Logone Occidental.
“Thanks to integrated strategies, active screening campaigns, rapid treatment, and vector control, we reduced cases from 200 per year before 2013 to just five in 2024,” Guidaoussou noted.
This achievement was driven by a multi-sectoral approach — known as “One Health” — combining the efforts of the Ministry of Public Health and Prevention with the Ministry of Livestock and Animal Production, supported by technical and financial partners.
Speakers at the event stressed the importance of ongoing community engagement, continued training of health workers, and integrating sleeping sickness management into primary healthcare as key to reaching zero transmission.
Chad now joins an elite group of nations to have defeated one of the world’s most persistent neglected tropical diseases — a feat widely hailed as a beacon of hope for global health.
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