We have been conducting research into trypanosomiasis in the Luangwa Valley, Zambia since 2004. Human African trypanosomiasis, also known as sleeping sickness, is a zoonotic disease which is invariably fatal if not treated. It is a vector-borne disease transmitted by the tsetse fly with a broad reservoir community including many wildlife and domestic animal species. The Luangwa Valley in Zambia has long been recognised as a geographical focus for the disease.Our research has included studies evaluating the wildlife reservoir for this parasite, investigations into tsetse ecology and land-use change, and development of an agent-based model for human sleeping sickness. Current research activity is focussed on the development of a One Health approach to the management of trypanosomiasis across communities and the veterinary, conservation and medical sectors. PhD student, Ackson Mwale, is applying anthropology approaches to further our understanding and inform policy interventions to support the sustainable control and elimination of human sleeping sickness as a public health problem. We are also expanding our work to include research into trypanosome diversity and phylogenetics using genomic approaches and the use of tsetse to monitor biodiversity (iDNA). This article was published on 2024-09-02
