 Vast areas of sub-Saharan Africa are home to the Cessiflai, a small but deadly killer. Cessiflai's transmit parasites called trypanosomes. These parasites cause human sleeping sickness, which afflicts thousands of people every year killing men. They also cause the livestock illness called trypanosomiasis, arguably Africa's most important livestock disease. Since no vaccine exists, the disease wastes and kills cattle across the region, holding back agriculture as a whole. After more than a century of work to control this disease, current methods remain difficult because they're expensive, toxic or unsustainable. With Kenyan and international partners, the International Livestock Research Institute, ILRI is now in the early stages of a project to develop cattle resistant to the trypanosomiasis parasite. Some baboons have the natural ability to kill all trypanosome parasites in their bloodstream. The project has identified the gene segment that protects the baboon, is making synthetic copies derived from this gene segment and is testing them in mice and sheep before using them in cattle. The team has already successfully adapted cloning methods. And next step is to produce African Boran cattle clones, modified with the gene segment originating in the baboon that confers resistance to the disease. A final step will be to use these trypanosomiasis resistant cattle in breeding schemes, which will provide Africa with a new option in its age-old fight against this lethal disease. This is a long-term research project. The first improved breeding herds may be available in 20 years, at which time decisions and regulations on their use will be determined by African countries themselves. If successful, this research promises for the first time a reliable, self-sustaining and cost-effective way of protecting African livestock against trypanosomiasis. The results will reduce poverty and hunger and enhance human well-being across the continent.