From Elimination to Eradication: Kenya’s Systematic Defeat of Human African Trypanosomiasis as a Model for Zoonotic Disease Control

Kenya’s recent achievement of eliminating Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) as a public health problem, as validated by the World Health Organization, provides a critical model for the systematic defeat of complex zoonotic diseases. This success, marking the end of indigenous transmission since 2018, emerged from a century-long struggle against the disease in historically endemic foci like the Lambwe Valley, where it severely constrained socio-economic development. The elimination architecture rested on three synergistic pillars: a decentralized, community-based surveillance system that transformed health workers into frontline epidemiological sensors; the operationalization of a One Health framework through the Kenya Tsetse and Trypanosomiasis Eradication Council (KENTTEC), enabling integrated vector control and livestock treatment; and a robust post-elimination vigilance system integrated into national surveillance. Key innovations included the deployment of rapid diagnostic tests, targeted use of insecticide-treated targets, and the adoption of oral therapeutics like fexinidazole. Kenya’s experience demonstrates that sustained elimination of a zoonosis requires transitioning from isolated interventions to a coordinated, cross-sectoral system. The model offers technically replicable and economically justifiable lessons for global efforts targeting the 2030 roadmap goals for neglected tropical diseases. This case proves that with strategic integration, political commitment, and sustained vigilance, the eradication of long-standing zoonotic threats is an achievable goal.