Telemedicine and human African trypanosomiasis in Angola: Local insights into challenges and opportunities for remote health delivery

Abstract

Objectives

Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), or sleeping sickness, is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) endemic in rural Angola. Although telemedicine can improve healthcare access and coordination, its absence from HAT care highlights gaps in achieving World Health Organization goals for digital health equity and NTD control by 2030. To identify the challenges and opportunities for the local implementation of telemedicine in HAT care.

Methods

A mixed-methods study was conducted at the Instituto de Combate e Controlo das Tripanossomiases, a specialized unit of the Angolan Ministry of Health. One interview was conducted with the national HAT manager, and questionnaires were distributed to healthcare professionals, with a response rate of 61.5 %. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Ministry of Health of Angola.

Results

Analysis revealed strong local interest in piloting telemedicine for HAT to improve healthcare access, particularly for remote case discussions among healthcare professionals in underserved areas. However, key barriers included unstable Internet connectivity, low digital literacy, insufficient human resources, and limited informatics support.

Conclusions

These challenges underscore the need for a multi-sectoral strategy to enable the integration of telemedicine into HAT care and advance digital health equity in Angola.