Abstract

‘Talk about Tsetse’ was a collaboration between scientific researchers (the University of Glasgow, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences), theatre professionals (Surge, VOICES-Malawi), and Malawian hospital staff. It was a public engagement initiative combining parasitology and outdoor message-based street theatre to raise awareness of human African trypanosomiasis, also known as sleeping sickness, and foster dialogue between scientists and affected communities. Sleeping sickness is a neglected tropical disease caused by single-cell trypanosome parasites and transmitted mainly in rural areas via the bite of a tsetse fly to humans (Kuepfer et al., 2011). It is prevalent in sub-Saharan African countries including Malawi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Globally, trypanosomiasis affects approximately 1000 people per year. Surveillance of at-risk communities, diagnosis and treatment are all essential for detection and survival, as this disease is fatal if not treated.

Original language	en
Publication status	Published - 2025