Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz ISSN: 1678-8060 EISSN: 1678-8060 Vol. 96, Num. s1, 2001, pp. 5

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Vol. 96(s.1) 2001, pp. 5

FOREWORD

Miriam Tendler, President

Code Number: oc01146

It was a renewed pleasure for me and the Organizing Committee to welcome and to host the VII International Symposium on Schistosomiasis, held in Rio de Janeiro, during 5-9 December, 1999.

For the third time, the Oswaldo Cruz Institute-Fiocruz, had the privilege to organize the Symposium that has gained a place of importance in the calendar of scientists and public health professionals concerned with the control of schistosomiasis, clearly evidenced by the number of delegates that attended the meeting from all parts of the world. The major focus of the VII International Symposium on Schistosomiasis was on recent advances and new perspectives for the effective control of schistosomiasis, a disease that still afflicts millions of people leaving in endemic countries throughout the developing world.

The Symposium programme consisted of conferences, round tables, short presentations, posters, and covered topics ranging from control strategies and socio-economic aspects of schistosomiasis to vaccine candidate antigens, molecular biology of the parasite and genetic aspects of the disease. One of the highlights was the historical presentation by Prof. André Capron on Phase I and II Clinical Trials in Humans with GST in Africa, in the context of the first anti-schistosomiasis vaccine, to enter human trials.

This special issue of the Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz contains the written counterparts of the oral presentation made during the Symposium and witness the quality of current research in the area of schistosomiasis.

We would like to thank all those who helped to make the Symposium such a success with their presence and scientific contributions.

We express our gratitude to all sponsors and to Casa de Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz for the operational support.

Miriam Tendler
President

Copyright 2000 Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - Fiocruz.