As part of the ongoing efforts to combat Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT), (commonly known as sleeping sickness) in Zimbabwe, World Health Organization hosted a three-day Laboratory Diagnosis and Surveillance Training. The training brought together a team of 20 laboratory personnel, clinicians, and field officers from areas at risk of HAT transmission. These includes staff working in safari camps and health facilities near endemic areas around Kariba Lake.

The workshop equipped laboratory personnel with skills in detecting trypanosomes in blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), performing white blood cell counts, and applying the improved technique for identifying live trypanosomes. Clinicians were also trained on the use of a new medicine, fexinidazole, for treatment of HAT, which has now been incorporated into Zimbabwe’s Essential Medicines List and Standard Treatment Guidelines.

Through a combination of theory and practical laboratory sessions, and simulations exercises, participants gained skills and experience in preparing and examining blood samples. They also learned how to adapt laboratory procedures to their local settings and maintain microscopes for reliable results. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and diagnostic and treatment algorithms were updated and shared, to help participants immediately apply these techniques in their routine work.

The training was officially opened and closed by Dr Isaac Phiri, Director of Epidemiology and Disease Control and Chair of the NTDs Control Committee. He highlighted the importance of strengthening HAT surveillance and urged participants to cascade the training nationwide under a One Health approach, ensuring coordinated monitoring and response in both human and animal populations.

The workshop represents a critical step in Zimbabwe’s fight against HAT, has helped building national capacity to detect cases early, improve patient care, and contribute to the country’s goal of eliminating sleeping sickness as a public health threat.