Launch of a political advocacy and communication project to fight against human African trypanosomiasis in the DRC
The National Program for the Control of Human African Trypanosomiasis (PNLTHA) in collaboration with its technical and financial partners recently launched the political advocacy and communication project for the fight against human African trypanosomiasis, also known as ” sleeping sickness”.
This project, implemented by the National Coordination for Community Systems Strengthening (CNRSC), aims to improve the health of populations living in peripheral areas most exposed to the disease, and to completely eliminate human African trypanosomiasis by 2030.
According to Dr. Christian Luzombe Fini, executive director of the CNRSC, this project is a continuation of the efforts undertaken by the international organization PATH, which has already made significant progress in the fight against sleeping sickness. The objective is to consolidate these achievements and extend actions across the country.
The CNRSC has established a communication mechanism that will affect all provinces of the DRC, in addition to the target provinces. Information on sleeping sickness, its dangers, prevention measures and treatment will be disseminated to the entire Congolese population.
The project will include a series of awareness-raising actions, such as national days to combat human African trypanosomiasis, consultative workshops to share advances and good practices, as well as capacity building sessions for community health professionals. Radio spots and interactive programs will also be broadcast in local languages to reach a wider audience, and the coordination of actions will be strengthened thanks to the revitalization of thematic groups dedicated to sleeping sickness.
The DRC currently has 22 endemic provinces, of which the provinces of Kwilu, Kwango and Mai Ndombe are the most affected. The fight against human African trypanosomiasis is a major health issue for the country, and the mobilization of all stakeholders is necessary to eliminate this disease which affects the most vulnerable populations.
In conclusion, the political advocacy and communication project launched by the PNLTHA and its partners aims to strengthen the fight against human African trypanosomiasis in the DRC. Through awareness-raising and coordinated actions, the goal is to eliminate this disease by 2030 and improve the health of populations living in affected areas. It is essential that all stakeholders fully commit to this fight to ensure a trypanosomiasis-free future in the DRC.