LCNTDR publishes human African trypanosomiasis research booklet

28 Jan 2022

The London Centre for NTD Research, in collaboration with the HAT Platform and DNDi, has published a series of abstracts presenting new research in the field of human African trypanosomiasis. 

The research booklet has been published to coincide with a series of scientific research roundtable meetings on human African trypanosomiasis, held virtually in collaboration with the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene on 1 - 3 February 2022. Register for the roundtable meetings here. 

In this booklet, we present 14 abstracts that represent research subjects in endemic countries and the broader projects of several major international partners. Most research, as might be expected, comes from Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the most endemic country, but we also introduce research from Central African Republic, Chad, Burkina Faso, and South Sudan. Research includes:

The booklet includes:

  • Impact of fexinidazole on gHAT transmission: Modelling the impact of fexinidazole use on gHAT transmission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Ethnographic study on Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) in Democratic Republic of the Congo. Applying an ecological model to understand contributory factors to community engagement in HAT control in DRC
  • Are there still HAT cases in Dingila? Results of HAT screening in Dingila (Bas Uélé province, DRC) six years after all screening activities had ceased
  • HAT frontline workers’ elimination views: Frontline workers’ views on human African trypanosomiasis training, expertise & disease elimination
  • An atlas to support the progressive control of tsetse-transmitted animal trypanosomosis in Burkina Faso
  • Advances and next steps in the modelling of gHAT
  • Vector control and sleeping sickness: Contributions of tsetse control to HAT elimination goals
  • New simplified HAT treatments: DNDi Development of NECT, fexinidazole and acoziborole to support HAT elimination drive
  • Novel TBR qPCRs for Trypanozoon and T.b. gambiense: Single nucleotide polymorphisms and copy-number variations in the Trypanosoma brucei repeat (TBR) sequence
  • Investigations on the animal reservoir of human African trypanosomiasis in active foci in Chad: implications for control strategies. Identification of potential reservoirs of Trypanosoma brucei gambiense in domestic animals from HAT foci in Chad.
  • Support to the HAT elimination agenda in DRC. First step on the way to interruption of gHAT transmission in DRC
  • Assessment of costs for patients as a result of HAT: Assessment of medical and non-medical costs for patients as a result of screening, diagnosis and treatment of sleeping sickness in the DRC (also available in French on page 17)
  • Evaluation des dépenses pour les patients dues au THA : Evaluation des dépenses médicales et non-médicales pour les patients dues au dépistage, au diagnostic et au traitement de la maladie de sommeil en RDC 
  • Re-emergence of Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) in Bangassou, Central African Republic (also available in French on page 19)
  • Réémergence de la trypanosomose humaine africaine à Bangassou, République Centrafricaine
  • HAT Elimination: Contribution of stationary health facilities in eliminating HAT (also available in French on page 21)
  • Elimination de la THA: Contribution des formations sanitaires fixes dans l’elimination de la THA