Development and implementation of a strategy for intensified screening for gambiense human African trypanosomiasis in Kongo Central province, DRC.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) accounts for the majority of the reported gambiense human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) cases. Kongo Central province in the DRC reports a relatively low, yet steady number of cases, and forms a transboundary focus with Angola and the Republic of Congo. This paper describes an intervention aimed at reducing the case burden in Kongo Central by improving passive case detection, complemented with reactive screening.

Methodology/principal findings

At the initiation of this programme in August 2015, 620 health facilities were identified and equipped with Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) for HAT screening. Of these, 603 (97%) reported use of RDTs, and 584 (94%) that continued to use RDTs to the last quarter of 2016 were used in th

SUBMITTER: Lumbala C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7591064 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature