Kouakou Lingué

Dr. Kouakou Lingué is the director and coordinator of the National Program for the Elimination of Human African Trypanosomiasis in Côte d'Ivoire. He has been instrumental in the country's successful efforts to control and eliminate this neglected tropical disease, commonly known as sleeping sickness. Under his leadership, Côte d'Ivoire achieved a significant milestone by not detecting any new cases since 2020, following the World Health Organization's criteria for elimination as a public health problem. Dr. Lingué emphasizes the importance of community engagement and active surveillance in combating this disease, which primarily affects marginalized populations in rural areas. He also advocates for regional cooperation to address cross-border transmission challenges.