Sleeping Sickness

   To people in the medical field, the Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT), or Sleeping Sickness, is known as a fatal and much neglected disease. The disease is transmitted by the tsetse fly that carries a parasite. These flies are "found in 36 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, putting 60 million people at risk. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) figures, trypanosomiasis affects 50,000 to 70,000 people each year." The WHO estimates the current number of cases are between these two figures. The disease had almost disappeared in the 1960's, but has come back with a vengeance due to war, population movements, and the collapse of health systems over the past two decades.

   HAT is transmitted to humans through the bite of the infected tsetse fly. "The first stage of sleeping sickness presents with non-specific symptoms such as fever and weakness." When caught in such early stages, the disease can easily be treated. If it goes untreated, the second stage sets in. The victim then suffers confusion, violent behavior, or convulsions. "Patients with sleeping sickness experience an inability to sleep at night but are overcome by sleep during the day. If left untreated, the disease inevitably leads to coma and death."

   The drug most commonly used to treat HAT is "melarsoprol" which is a derivative of arsenic. Treatment from this drug is excruciatingly painful and potentially fatal. Patients often describe it as "fire in the veins," between 5 and 20 percent of those treated die of complications from the injected drug. A safer, alternative treatment is available that consists of a combination of two drugs. It represents an improved therapy for patients, but it is not ideal. This is because it is complicated to administer and requires increased patient monitoring which is frequently unavailable in sub-Saharan Africa. 

   The foundation "Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF)" has been treating patients with the disease for over 20 years. Last year they treated 1 in every 5 patients treated for the disease. In total they have screened more than 2.4 million people for the disease and has treated over 43,000. MSF is currently responsible for the efficient supply and distribution of all sleeping sickness drugs used in the world today. The biggest obstacle in the way of fighting the disease is the lack of new, better diagnostic tools and medicines. 

Source: (http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news/issue.cfm?id=2401)