Health Education in the Control of Schistosomiasis

Schistosomiasis is one of the major parasitic diseases, affecting 200 illion people and posing a threat to health in more than 70 countries. Current efforts to control the disease are concentrated on diagnosis and treatment, improved water supply and sanitation facilities, and elimination of the freshwater snails that are the parasite’s intermediate host. This manual, which is intended principally for use by primary health workers, focuses on the ways in which health education can complement these control measures. It provides a basis for health education initiatives in all sections of the community-helping people to understand their own role in spreading the disease and the part they can play in reducing its prevalence.