UNZA Scientists Discover a Simple Procedure for Detecting Sleeping Sickness in Humans now being used by Ministry of Health

A group of researchers from the University of Zambia developed a simple LAMP procedure for detecting sleeping sickness in humans. Speaking in an interview with professor Boniface Namangala a representative of the researchers and the 2013 UNZA DRUSSA Platform Article select, noted that the ministry of Health at university teaching hospital are using the procedure in line with the world health organisation guidelines.

 Professor Namangala at the Research and Science media briefing hosted earlier contended that sleeping sickness and Malaria have similar signs and symptoms and both are deadly. This study was selected to represent the University of Zambia in the Development Research Uptake in Sub-Sahara Africa (DRUSSA)’s 2013 platform click here for more information. 

The initial title of the study that developed this procedure is tagged ‘The use of Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) to detect the re-emerging Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) in the Luangwa and Zambezi valleys’ and the researchers were as follows;Boniface Namangala,¹ Lottie Hachaambwa,² Kiichi Kajino,³ Aaron S Mweene,⁴ Kyouko Hayashida,³ Martin Simuunza,⁴Humphrey Simukoko,⁵ Kennedy Choongo,⁵ Pamela Chansa,² Shabir Lakhi,² Ladslav Moonga,¹ Amos Chota,¹ Joseph Ndebe,⁴ Mutale Nsakashalo-Senkwe,⁶ Elizabeth Chizema,⁶ Lackson Kasonka,² and Chihiro Sugimoto³