Sleeping sickness can cause flu-like symptoms at first, but later can cause behavioural changes, confusion, sleep cycle disruption, or even coma, often leading to death.
Chad became the 51st country in the world to eliminate sleeping sickness, the World Health Organization announced.
"Congratulations to the government, health workers, and people of Chad for eliminating human African trypanosomiasis, also known as sleeping sickness," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
"It is great to see Chad join the growing group of countries that have eliminated at least one neglected tropical disease. The 100-country target is nearer and within reach."
To date, the elimination of this disease, known as the gambiense form of human African trypanosomiasis, has been validated by the WHO in seven countries of the continent:
Togo (2020), Benin (2021), Côte d'Ivoire (2021), Uganda (2022), Equatorial Guinea (2022), Ghana (2023), Chad (2024).
