AMU has represented Ethiopia in recently held 2nd China-Africa meeting on Schistosomiasis elimination and training in Malacology in Yaounde, Cameroon. The focus on this year’s meeting was on Malacology training course and use of molluscicides for snail control. Click here to see the pictures.

Vice President for Administration, Mr Behailu Merdekios, along with a focal person from the Federal Ministry of Health, Mr Birhan Meshesha and participating African nations have learnt a lot from Chinese experts who globally pioneered a technique to control and eliminate the disease.

Mr Behailu informed that the disease is caused by a parasite that is of different species; it affects intestines and urinary system first and as it lives in blood, it can affect other systems too. It’s not fatal, but a chronic illness can damage internal organs and lead to reduced growth and cognitive development in children.

Mr Birhanu Meshesha, sharing Ethiopian experience, informed gathering about mapping done in identified areas and Ethiopian government’s readiness to tackle prevailing challenges. Dams and factories could be potential breeding ground for infected snails in Ethiopia, however, the scenario in Ethiopia is not that dismal, he maintained.

Cameroon’s Secretary General in Ministry of Public Health, Prof. Koula Sinata, opening meeting called on participants to work hard during training to share knowledge and experiences and improve knowledge in Malacology and use of molluscicides for snail control.

Representatives from 13 African nations, 35 Chinese experts and a team from WHO, Geneva, brainstormed for five days (24-28 Oct, 2016) to spur the momentum in controlling and eliminating this disease.

This cooperation will invariably capacitate African governments in eliminating ‘Bilharzias,’ as it’s commonly known, and has great economic impact that constitutes a serious health problem in majority of African nations bearing 90% of global burden, Mr Behailu added.

He further said that Chinese experts sharing their experience in controlling and eliminating snails revealed that organism called cercariae breeds in snails and gets into humans when they come in contact with water.

In subsequent days, participants were trained to identify infected snails and design a strategy to control prevalence. Kato-katz fecal smear technique was used to identify S. Mansoni and Haematobium from stool and urine.

It’s learnt that Chinese Institute of Parasitic Infection, Shanghai, have accepted AMU’s proposal for close collaboration to be formalized next year; it will accrue advanced laboratory, standardized equipment, trainings, exchange programs and PhD scholarship for AMU students.

In this regard, AMU is communicating with Prof. Xi Jang; WHO headquarters, Geneva and African Regional office in Ethiopia have also been intimated about this development, he quips.

This collaboration assumed greater significance in a way as it will give global recognition to AMU for its research and training centre for neglected tropical diseases thus paving the way for more collaborative opportunities with other international research and teaching institutions.

According to WHO, schistosomiasis prevalence in Sub-Saharan African nations is said to be 192 million that is 93% of the total global prevalence. A total of 29 million infected are in Nigeria, 19 million in Tanzania, 15 million each in Democratic Republic of Congo and Ghana, while Mozambique with 13 million people completes the top five countries with the highest prevalence in SSA.

 

(Corporate Communication Directorate)