Enhancing Schistosomiasis Control Strategy for Zimbabwe Building on Past Experiences.pdfVIP

Hindawi Publishing Corporation Journal of Parasitology Research Volume 2012, Article ID 353768, 9 pages doi:10.1155/2012/353768 Review Article Enhancing Schistosomiasis Control Strategy for Zimbabwe: Building on Past Experiences Moses J. Chimbari Okavango Research Institute, University of Botswana, P. Bag 285, Maun, Botswana Correspondence should be addressed to Moses J. Chimbari, mjchimbari@ Received 20 December 2011; Accepted 20 February 2012 Academic Editor: Francisca Mutapi Copyright © 2012 Moses J. Chimbari. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Schistosoma haematobium and Schistosoma mansoni are prevalent in Zimbabwe to levels that make schistosomiasis a public health problem. Following three national surveys to map the disease prevalence, a national policy on control of schistosomiasis and soil transmitted helminths is being developed. This paper reviews the experiences that Zimbabwe has in the area of schistosomiasis control with a view to influence policy. A case study approach to highlight key experiences and outcomes was adopted. The benefits derived from intersectoral collaboration that led to the development of a model irrigation scheme that incorporates schistosomiasis control measures are highlighted. Similarly, the benefits of using plant molluscicides and fish and duck biological agents (Sargochromis codringtonii and Cairina moschata) are highlighted. Emphasis was also placed on the importance of utilizing locally developed water and sanitation technologies and the critical human resource base in the area of schistosomiasis developed over years. After synthesis of the case stud