Despite the sucess of control programmes, schistosomiasis is
still a serious public health problem in the world. More than
70 countries where 200 million individuals are evaluated to be
infected of a total 600 million at risk. Though there have been
important local sucess in the control of transmission,
globally the infection has increased. Economic constrains in
developing countries, environmental changes associated with
migration and water resources development have been blocking the
progress. The main objective of schistosomiasis control is
to achieve reduction of disease due to schistosomiasis. We
discussed the control measures like: health education, diagnosis
and chemotherapy, safe water supplies, sanitation and snail
control. We emphasized the need to give priority to
school-age children and the importance of integrating the measures
of control into locally available systems of health care. The
control of schistosomiasis is directly related to the capacity of the
preventive health services of an endemic country. The strategy
of control requires long-term commitment from the international
to the local level.
