DISEASE FACTSHEET

Human African trypanosomiasis

He was weak, he slept all day – even during meals. I knew that when people sleep all the time, they could have sleeping sickness so we went to the hospital.

Placide’s mother

Placide, sleeping sickness patient, Democratic Republic of Congo

n 2011, Placide suffered Asked if he remembers his toxic treatments for HAT. a severe bout of sleeping treatment, Placide nods and NECTis now used to treat 100% sickness that came close points to his lower back, where of stage-2 g-HAT patients and to killing him. He was he received a lumbar puncture. has contributed to a dramatic Idiagnosed with stage-2 HAT - reduction in HAT cases. However, when the parasites attack the Today Placide is 11 years the treatment is difficult to ship brain - and was treated with old and sits in his family’s and administer, patients must NECT, which required more courtyard, endlessly chipping undergo a lumbar puncture to than two weeks in hospital. He away at a piece of wood, not confirm the disease stage, and was cured, but his family and far from the site of DNDi’s must remain hospitalized for the doctors believe he has long- Phase III clinical trial for full duration of treatment. term neurological effects from fexinidazole, a new oral the illness. therapy that will treat both The development of new stages of the disease, doing all-oral treatments would “There is still something not away with the need for lumbar enable patients to be treated ‘right’ with him. He is very puncture prior to treatment. immediately, potentially at home, anxious and can’t continue at and would provide the tools school, I’ve had to pull him out. In 2009, DNDi and its partners needed to reach and sustain HAT He doesn’t have any friends,” delivered the combination elimination. If successful, this said his mother. therapy nifurtimox-efl ornithine would represent a fundamental (NECT) which replaced earlier shift in disease management. THE DISEASE

Caused by two subspecies: Trypanosoma brucei (headaches, chills), and stage-2, the late stage gambiense (g-HAT, comprising 98% of reported where the parasite crosses the blood‑brain cases) and T. b. rhodesiense (r-HAT) barrier, causing serious neurological disorders including sleep cycle disruptions, neurological Humans are a reservoir for g-HAT; animals are a manifestations, and progressive mental reservoir for r-HAT deterioration Transmitted by the bite of a tsetse fly Fatal without effective treatment Occurs in two stages: stage-1, often un- or WHO Roadmap objective: to eliminate HAT as a misdiagnosed due to non-specific symptoms public health issue by 2020

13 estimated to live in 61 53 areas at moderate people at risk of r-HAT reported to very high risk in 2016 MILLION MILLION CASES

24 g-HAT endemic in West & Central Africa COUNTRIES

T. b. gambiense

r-HAT endemic T. b. rhodesiense 13 in Eastern and Southern Africa COUNTRIES

DNDi aims to deliver:

Safe, effective, and orally administered drugs to replace current first-line HAT treatments, and to simplify current case management The goal is to develop two drugs effective for both stage-1 and 2, and both subspecies of the parasite 1,447 of g-HAT reported in 2017 CASES

2018 DISEASE FACTSHEET: HUMAN AFRICAN TRYPANOSOMIASIS