In just the second full meeting of the HAT Platform, over 30 attendees from 9 countries were present. In his introductory remarks, Dr. Pere Simarro of WHO gave praise to the creation and mission of this platform in its first year.

New members were welcomed to the platform: Dr. Augustin Ebeja as the new, full-time HAT Platform Coordinator; and Dr. Olivia Lomorro, Director of Research in the Ministry of Health, Government of South Sudan, as a representative of South Sudan.

Prospects of new R&D were welcomed with great enthusiasm by the participants:

• NECT Study: ongoing, multi-centre clinical trial on the co-administration of nifurtimox-eflornithine for sleeping
sickness presented by Gerardo Priotto of Epicentre
• Current status of phase III study investigating oral diamidine to treat stage 1 disease presented by Cécile Schmid of STI
• The discovery strategy of DNDi, which includes the promising nitroimidazoles project, discussed by Els Torreele of DNDi
• R&D for new diagnostics presented by Joseph Ndungu of FIND

To drive the platform forward, a coordination committee meeting was also established, with 2 representatives from each of major countries; FIND, STI, DNDi, and WHO also were present.
The priority of this committee, supported by the HAT Platform coordinator, is to determine the governance structure and mode of functioning.