Gates Foundation grants €15m to Antwerp institute to tackle sleeping sickness

The Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM) in Antwerp has received 17.5 million dollars (€15 million) from the Gates Foundation to help eradicate sleeping sickness in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The funding will support the GAMBIT project, aimed at accelerating the fight against the parasitic disease, which is spread by the tsetse fly. While cases have dropped sharply in recent decades, detecting the remaining infections has become increasingly difficult.

The project, due to launch in 2029, will lay the groundwork for a “screen-and-treat” approach using one-dose oral drug acoziborole. Mobile teams will test remote communities for antibodies and treat positive cases on the spot. This could make eradication possible, as humans are the parasite’s only host.

ITM infectious disease expert Elena Nicco described the initiative as a “turning point”, saying the strategy could “turn the tide for good”.

^{A researcher in the Institute of Tropical Medicine © BELGA PHOTO HERWIG VERGULT}