Nairobi: Kenya has been actively engaged in efforts to eradicate tsetse flies and trypanosomiasis through the Pan African Tsetse and Trypanosomiasis Eradication Campaign, a continental initiative coordinated by the African Union. Agriculture and Livestock Development CS Mutahi Kagwe announced significant progress, noting that areas previously plagued by these challenges can now support profitable agriculture.
According to Kenya News Agency, Kagwe spoke at the 37th Conference of the International Scientific Council for Trypanosomiasis Research and Control (ISCTRC) in Nairobi, highlighting a milestone achieved on 16th June 2025. On this date, the World Health Organization (WHO) validated Kenya as having eliminated Human African Trypanosomiasis, commonly known as sleeping sickness, as a public health problem. Kagwe attributed this success to the collaborative efforts of the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, communities, and development partners.
Kagwe emphasized that Kenya is among the 38 African countries affected by the tsetse fly, with approximately 23 percent of its landmass infested. This infestation significantly impacts livestock and agricultural productivity, especially in the rangelands where over 70 percent of the livestock population is reared. The estimated annual loss due to tsetse fly and trypanosomiasis in Kenya is around $143 million, underlining the importance of joint efforts to combat this challenge across sub-Saharan Africa.
According to Kagwe, the theme of the conference, "Harnessing One Health Technologies and Innovations Towards Eliminating Trypanosomiasis in Africa," aligns with the multisectoral agenda being implemented by the Kenyan government. This agenda addresses complex health and economic issues requiring collaboration for impactful results. Kagwe expressed optimism that by eradicating the tsetse fly menace, Kenya would significantly contribute to the government's Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), aimed at increasing livestock productivity in priority value chains such as dairy, beef, and leather.
The conference, which is being hosted in Nairobi for the second consecutive time, underscores Kenya's pivotal role in addressing trypanosomiasis. African Union - InterAfrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) Director Huyam Salih highlighted the widespread impact of tsetse fly and trypanosomiasis, affecting 38 out of 55 African countries. Salih noted that 50 million cattle are at risk, resulting in an annual death toll of three million, with direct economic losses estimated at $1.2 billion annually. The overall economic impact on agricultural production is approximately $5 billion annually across tsetse-infested regions.
Salih also addressed the challenges faced by the continent, including suboptimal diagnostic tools, climate change, and parasite resistance to drugs. She called for investments in integrated surveillance systems and cross-sector collaboration to enhance early outbreak detection and intervention. Salih also emphasized the importance of local community involvement in vector control and health education.
Additionally, Salih advocated for embracing AI and integrated One Health data platforms for vector mapping and predictive modeling. She announced AU-IBAR's initiative to roll out the African Union Digital One Health Platform (AU-DOHP) to promote data integration and sharing across the continent.