Addressing the diagnostic challenges of sleeping sickness
Interview with Dr. Joseph Ndung’u,
Head of FIND HAT Diagnostics
Programme
Q: What would you regard to be major
highlights of the HAT diagnostics
programme at FIND so far?
A: There have been three major developments
over the past year. First, FIND and her
partners have confirmed the feasibility of
developing a simple, highly sensitive and specific
molecular test for sleeping sickness
based on the loop-mediated isothermal
amplification (LAMP) of DNA. The test
requires limited expertise and equipment,
and can therefore be used at microscopy
centres in rural areas. Second, we have been
supporting a comparative screen of parasite
antigens to be used to develop a rapid diagnostic
test for the disease.
The FIND HAT team
(Seated) Dr. Joseph Ndung’u, Head of HAT Diagnostics Programme; (standing, from left to right) Hanna Yirga, Scientific Team
Administrator; Dr. Magdalena Radwanska, Scientific Officer; Dr. Sylvain Bieler, Project Manager. Consultants (not pictured):
Dr. Philippe Büscher, Head of Parasite Diagnostics Unit, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Antwerp;
Dr. Veerle Lejon, Senior Scientist, Department of Parasitology, ITM; Professor Sanjeev Krishna, Division of Cellular and
Molecular Medicine, Centre for Infection, St. George’s, University of London
Thirty two antigens
supplied by laboratories from around the
world are included in the screen, and so
far, initial results are very exciting. This is the
first time such an effort has been undertaken
successfully, and it has increased the possibility
of developing a rapid diagnostic test for
sleeping sickness. The third development is
the award by the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation, of an additional three-year grant
of US$ 3.92M to FIND in October 2007, to
support WHO for disease mapping activities,
and advocacy by the Pan African Tsetse and
Trypanosomiasis Eradication Campaign Office of the
African Union (AU-PATTEC), which will
lead to the development of a global access
strategy for new diagnostics.
Q: Dr. Ndung’u, based on the latest
figures, it appears that the prevalence of
human African trypanosomiasis in
sub-Saharan Africa is on the decline.
Would you mind elaborating?
A: That is correct, and has been the result of
a persistent campaign by the World Health
Organization (WHO), the African Union and
endemic countries in mobilizing resources for
surveillance and control.
Q: What is the difference between
elimination and eradication in terms
of disease?
A: A disease may be considered eliminated if
its prevalence has fallen to such levels that it
ceases to be of major public health importance.
In such situations, there is still a likelihood
that it could re-emerge. On the other
hand, a disease is considered to be eradicated
if there is no likelihood of it ever occurring
again.
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