Although therapeutic strategies for trypanosomiasis appear to be straightforward, their application in the field raises a number of questions which are successively examined below. After a quick reminder of the available drugs, we discuss: Criteria for eligibility: problems of beginning treatment for immunological suspects and determination of the development phase. Present-day problems: availability of drugs; side effects; therapeutic failures. While efforts should be continued to make existing drugs available, it is important that fundamental research be carried out to enhance their utilisation as well as to develop new active molecules.