Scientists To find New Cure For Trypanosomiasis

Accra, (Greater Accra) Nov. 7 The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) office for Africa will hold a sub-regional meeting on African animal trypanosomiasis in West and Central Africa at Sogakope, Volta region, from November 18 - 21. The meeting will bring together scientists and senior government professionals who are national focal points for the control of animal trypanosomiasis ( sleeping sickness) from 12 countries of Central and West Africa. They are Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Central African Republic, Chad, the Gambia, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo, a statement from the FAO regional office in Accra said. The officials act as liaison officers between the FAO, other international institutions and member governments in the relentless efforts being made under the FAO programme for the control of African animal trypanosomiasis and related area development. The establishment of this programme was the result of a resolution passed at the World Food Conference in 1974 in recognition of the economic health and development effects of trypanosomiasis on the peoples of sub-Saharan Africa. African animal trypanosomiasis constrains agricultural production in areas of Africa that hold the continent's greatest potential for expanded production. The human form of trypanosomiasis is not only a debilitating disease but can claim thousands of lives when epidemics occur. The disease affects all domestic animals but its impact is most severe in cattle and camels. The FAO estimates that the incidence of trypanosomiasis reduces cattle offtake by 5.30 per cent, milk offtake by 10-40 per cent and the work performance of oxen by 33 per cent. There are many more effects of animal trypanosomiasis but, over all, it is believed that it reduces the density of cattle by 37 per cent in the sub-humid zone and 70 per cent in the humid zone. The FAO says the indirect effects of animal trypanosomiasis' risk to land use and agricultural production can be viewed from the relationship between livestock and crop production. ''In mixed farming systems, where trypanosomiasis is so severe that it constrains the number of oxen that farmers own, it can reduce the average area planted per household by as much as 50 per cent.'' The statement said the scientific knowledge on the disease is complex and, its effects notwithstanding, not very much progress has been made in its control in the last 50 years. "There are many and varied reasons for this state of affairs, particularly lack of adequate resources and the biological and ecological complexity of the problem".