The World Health Organization is using a newcombination of drugs to treat human African trypanosomiasis disease, also known as sleeping sickness. The drugs nifurtimox an eflornithine will begiven out in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Officials from the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative say the new treatment has fewer side effects. It is also more effective and less costly than the drugs traditionally used. In addition, the new treatment reduces the number of injections needed. And itshortens the amount of time patients must spend in the hospital.