Supporting sleeping sickness elimination through the Kigali Declaration

Sleeping sickness, or human African trypanosomiasis, is a neglected tropical disease transmitted by infected tsetse flies. Sustained vector control remains important to support elimination efforts.

On World Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) Day in January 2025, Vestergaard signed the Kigali Declaration on Neglected Tropical Diseases, to formalize our long-standing commitment to ending sleeping sickness. Launched in 2022, the Kigali Declaration is a global political commitment to mobilize action, resources, and partnerships in support of the World Health Organization’s roadmap to 2030 for neglected tropical diseases. By becoming a signatory, Vestergaard joined more than 80 governments and organizations committed to accelerating progress against preventable and treatable neglected diseases.

As part of the Declaration, we have committed to donating up to 150,000 Tiny Targets every year until sleeping sickness is finally eliminated as a public health problem. Tiny Targets are insecticide-treated fabric panels that attract and kill the disease-spreading tsetse flies. Tiny Targets effectively reduce disease transmission at its source and strengthen integrated approaches to eliminating sleeping sickness.

By signing the Kigali Declaration, Vestergaard reaffirmed its role as a long‑term partner in disease elimination – translating scientific innovation into scalable, field‑ready solutions that help countries move from control to sustained elimination.