By Duncan Mboyah
Global scientists have resolved to harness Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the incorporation of the one health approach in the management of trypanosomiasis, a disease that is heavily present in 38 Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries.
Meeting in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital, during the 37th General Conference of the International Scientific Council for Trypanosomiasis Research and Control (ISCTRC), over 350 scientists committed to harnessing AI-based vector monitoring and other digital tools for early detection and intervention of trypanosomiasis in the region.
They also called on governments to invest in innovation by expanding research into new diagnostic treatments and vaccines to help manage the disease that claims millions of livestock in the continent and exposes farmers to poverty, hunger and ailments.
The scientists also called for the strengthening of regional coordination by aligning national and regional initiatives with the Progressive Control Pathway (PCP) for tsetse and trypanosomiasis control.
They expressed their belief in the one health approach and urged governments to institutionalize the approach by integrating trypanosomiasis into national and continental one health frameworks.
They suggested a linkage effort with broader zoonotic disease and neglected tropical disease (NTD) agendas on the continent.
On funding, the scientists urged governments to secure sustainable financing through the mobilization of climate-related funding to support control efforts as well as the strengthening of public–private partnerships to ensure long-term resources beyond project cycles.
The scientists are committed to ensuring that meaningful inclusion in future strategies and governance structures exists to enhance training and mentorship opportunities to young scientists and women researchers.
Dr. Huyam Salih, Director, African Union InterAfrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), urged AU member States to strengthen capacity-building efforts to equip the next generation of researchers with essential skills.
Dr. Salih commended the ongoing efforts to eliminate sleeping sickness as a public health threat by 2030, and appreciated the initiatives and tools being developed to combat African animal trypanosomiasis.
“Continued work in diagnostics and therapeutics is vital to protect livestock, safeguard livelihoods, and support socio-economic development across Member States,” she added.
During the conference, a total of 103 research papers were presented, including eight reports from Member States and nine from global partners, covering topics such as human and animal African Trypanosomiasis, Glossina biology and control, socio-economic and environmental issues, and non-tsetse trypanosomiasis.
