China moves to raise public awareness of schistosomiasis

BEIJING, April 9 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese disease control authority has launched a week-long campaign to increase public awareness of schistosomiasis, an infectious parasitic disease caused by blood flukes.

According to a statement issued by the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration (NDCPA), the campaign, running from April 8 to 14, focuses on publicity efforts targeting key regions and key population groups vulnerable to schistosomiasis infection.

Schistosomiasis, a Class B infectious disease in China, was previously commonly recorded in 12 provincial-level regions in the Yangtze River Basin and to the south of the river. People become infected after contact with water infested with larval forms of blood flukes.

An outline for "Healthy China 2030," issued in 2016, called for eliminating schistosomiasis in all endemic counties nationwide by 2030.

Last year, the NDCPA and 10 other departments issued an action plan to accelerate the elimination of schistosomiasis during the period from 2023 to 2030. The plan mapped out three phases for the prevention and control of the disease in order to achieve the ultimate goal.

According to the NDCPA, China has made remarkable progress on schistosomiasis control after years of unremitting efforts. By 2022, 75 percent of the 452 endemic counties in the country have reached the standard of schistosomiasis elimination.

In addition, China is committed to the global control and elimination of schistosomiasis by sharing its experience, especially in African countries.

In 2014, China signed a memorandum of understanding to conduct international cooperation on schistosomiasis prevention and control in Tanzania.

In 2017, an expert team from Jiangsu Province in east China brought the "Chinese plan" to Pemba Island in Zanzibar, Tanzania, to aid the local fight against the disease.

The island once had a high prevalence of schistosomiasis, but has witnessed a significant decline in recent years, thanks to Chinese medical expertise and collaboration with local health authorities.

Official data shows that the morbidity rate of schistosomiasis in Zanzibar has dropped from 8.92 percent to 0.64 percent.