Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT), also known as ‘sleeping sickness,’ is a neglected tropical disease caused by subspecies of the parasite Trypanosoma brucei transmitted by tsetse flies (Glossina – Figure 1). There are two forms of sleeping sickness, and both are found only in sub-Saharan Africa.1 Gambian HAT (gHAT), caused by T. b. gambiense, is responsible for >95% of all cases across Africa but is not present in Malawi. Rhodesian HAT (rHAT) is caused by T. b. rhodesiense and occurs in East
and Southern Africa including Malawi. Both forms of the disease are fatal without treatment. gHAT and rHAT cases have declined significantly due to national and
global commitment to eliminate the disease. Globally, there are fewer cases than there have ever been before, with <2000 cases of gHAT and <30 cases of rHAT annually since 2017.2 Eliminating rHAT is difficult because the parasite circulates in wild (e.g., buffalo, warthog) as well as domestic (cattle) hosts.
