[Eradication of schistosomiasis: a new target and a new task for the National Schistosomiasis Control Porgramme in the People's Republic of China].

The achievements for the national schistosomiasis control programme in the People's Republic of China over the last 6 decades were reviewed, with an emphasis on the status and challenges to accomplish the tasks of "Workplan for the Mid- and Long-term of National Schistosomiasis Control Programme from 2004 to 2015". Four features of current national schistosomiasis control programme were identified in the new stage. First, the high prevalence areas have been shrunk, but few regions are still at the risks of schitosomiasis rebounding. Second, large areas with low prevalence of schistosomiasis will remain for a long time, so that the disease surveillance will be a long-term task. Third, more notable places will be in the high risk areas where more activities of human and livestock occurred, so that it is essential to implement the integrated control measures in those high risk areas. Fourth, the technologies using in the schistosomiasis eradication programme are delayed as expected, and more needs to accelerate the R&D programmes. It was recommended that sustained implementation of integrated control strategy with more emphasis on control of infectious sources has to be strengthened through enhanced regulation performance in addition to the aforementioned notifications, in order to eradicate schistosomiasis in a response to the newly formulated target of "making the 'God of Plague' to be sweep away from the history, and retuning the clear land/water and happy/healthy life to the people".