Conquering schistosomiasis in China: the last mile

Schistosomiasis in China goes back to antiquity but, in the past 60 years, the government has made great strides in its control so that elimination by 2020 isnow the final declared goal through the implementation of a comprehensive strategy developed by the Ministry of Health. This aims to reduce the role of bovines and humans as sources of infection as a pre-requisite for elimination through transmission interruption. We contend that monitoring and evaluation of the current control program markedly underestimates schistosome infection rates due to the insensitive diagnostic procedures used. Coupled with marked ecological/demographic changes facing China the goal of elimination by 2020 is unlikely.