Elimination of schistosomiasis in China: Current status and future prospects

• Published in: PLoS neglected tropical diseases Vol. 15; no. 8; p. e0009578
• Main Authors: Wang, Wei, Bergquist, Robert, King, Charles H, Yang, Kun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 01.08.2021; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Animals; Biology and Life Sciences; China - epidemiology; Control; Countries; Disease Eradication; Endemic diseases; Forecasts and trends; Health surveillance; Humans; Infections; Mass Drug Administration; Medicine and Health Sciences; Mollusks; Parasitic diseases; People and Places; Politics; Praziquantel; Praziquantel - administration & dosage; Public Health; Schistosomiasis; Schistosomiasis - epidemiology; Schistosomiasis - prevention & control; Snails; Social Sciences; Statistics; Success; Tropical diseases; Viewpoints; Zoonoses; China; Yangtze River
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009578
• ISSN: 1935-2735; 1935-2727

Elimination of schistosomiasis as a public health problem among all disease-endemic countries in 2030 is an ambitious goal. Recent achievements resulting from mass drug administration (MDA) with praziquantel is promising but may need to be complemented with also other means. Schistosomiasis was highly prevalent in China before the initiation of the national schistosomiasis control program in the mid-1950s, and, at that time, the country bore the world's highest burden of schistosomiasis. The concerted control efforts, upheld without interruption for more than a half century, have resulted in elimination of the disease as a public health problem in China as of 2015. Here, we describe the current status of schistosomiasis in China, analyze the potential challenges affecting schistosomiasis elimination, and propose the future research needs and priorities for the country, aiming to provide more universal insights into the structures needed for a global schistosomiasis elimination encompassing also other endemic regions.