ABSTRACT: Vectors of trypanosomiasis - tsetse (Glossinidae) in Africa, kissing-bugs (Triatominae) in Latin America - are very different insects but share demographic characteristics that render them highly vulnerable to available control methods. For both, the main operational problems relate to re-invasion of treated areas, and the solution seems to be in very large-scale interventions covering biologically-relevant areas rather than adhering to administrative boundaries. In this review we present the underlying rationale, operational background and progress of the various trypanosomiasis vector control initiatives active in both continents.