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African trypanosomosis, also known as sleeping sickness in humans or nagana in animals, is caused by parasites transmitted by tsetse flies and it affects countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Recognizing the urgency to develop more effective approaches for the control and surveillance of African animal trypanosomosis (AAT), FAO organized a series of events in Zambia and Zimbabwe, held between 14 and 24 November 2023.

Two one-day workshops, attended by 29 participants from 14 institutions in Zambia and 20 participants from seven institutions in Zimbabwe, served as platforms for sharing insights, strategies, and expertise among stakeholders to enhance the fight against AAT. The main objective of the workshops was to sensitize national stakeholders on the Progressive Control Pathway (PCP), and to mainstream the approach into national policies. The events, opened by the Director of Veterinary Services in Zambia and the Director of the Department of Tsetse Control Services in Zimbabwe featured comprehensive presentations on the project Controlling and progressively Minimizing the Burden of Animal Trypanosomosis (COMBAT). These informative sessions delved into specific aspects of FAO-led work packages. Topics included data management and disease risk mapping, surveillance, modelling, and the integration of PCP principles into national policies. Specifically, emphasis was placed on the creation of PCP-smart national strategies and roadmaps for effective implementation.

In two related but separate two-day training courses, FAO provided guidance on the development and update of national atlases. In Zimbabwe a first edition of the national atlas of tsetse flies and AAT was published in 2021, while in Zambia the initiative was launched more recently within the COMBAT project. These capacity building events were attended by 22 participants (11 in each country) and focused on the principles and skills for the establishment and enhancement of national level information systems on tsetse flies and AAT.

Going forward, in Zambia, the immediate actions include finalizing the first edition of the atlas of tsetse and AAT and commencing the preparation of a scientific paper for its presentation to the technical and scientific community. Additionally, efforts will be directed toward improving the alignment between the draft national strategy and the PCP for AAT. In Zimbabwe, a comprehensive update and upgrade of the national atlas is ongoing, involving the incorporation of new epidemiological and entomological data (i.e. tsetse stationary trapping, tsetse mobile trapping/fly rounds), as well as control data (i.e. insecticide-treated targets, tsetse traffic control, and insecticide-treated cattle). Leveraging the atlas data, a mapping exercise to delineate the PCP status across different regions of the country was recommended.

Under the umbrella of the COMBAT project, funded by the European Commission through the Horizon 2020 programme and coordinated by the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), and in the framework of PAAT, FAO collaborates closely with multiple institutions to develop and implement sustainable and integrated control strategies to minimize the impact of AAT on livestock production and the livelihoods of communities in affected regions. By providing technical support, capacity building and policy advocacy and coordination, FAO aims to establish enduring and impactful control measures against AAT.