BMJ  2005;331:1242 (26 November), doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7527.1242

Commentary

Sleeping sickness—a growing problem?

¹ Communicable Diseases - Neglected Tropical Diseases Control, World Health Organization, 121 Geneva 27, Switzerland janninj@who.int

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

This Ugandan sleeping sickness research is timely.¹ After five years of intensified control, the human African trypanosomiasis landscape has changed. Before 2000, the sleeping sickness epidemic was spreading in Africa. Approximately half a million people living in the poorest areas were expected to be infected by this killer disease. Early detection of cases, before the parasites start to destroy the central nervous system, is essential for effective treatment. This is the only way to avoid using existing potent drugs (melarsoprol) or drugs that are very difficult to administer in remote areas (eflornithine requires an infusion every six hours for 14 days). In 2000, the availability of drugs was threatened and the treatment of patients challenged. The establishment of a large programme based on ensuring access for populations to health facilities, diagnosis, and treatment was conceived. This led to a long term donation of drugs—pentamidine, melarsoprol, eflornithine (Sanofi-Aventis), and suramin (Bayer)—with . . . [Full text of this article]

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