The National Schistosomiasis Control Programme in Mali, objectives, organization, results.

Schistosomiasis control started regionally, in the Bandiagara district, and as a component of a dam-building project in 1978. In 1982 a national programme was created. Control was divided into three phases: Preparation, intervention and maintenance. Districts qualifyed for schistosomiasis control activities, when the prevalence for either Schistosoma haematobium or Schistosoma mansoni exceeded 20% and/or the prevalence of persons with intensive infections for either parasite exceeded 5%. Intensive infection was defined as the excretion of more than 50 eggs per 10 ml of urine or the excretion of more than 100 eggs per one gram of stool. Preparation consisted of sample surveys to identify districts that needed to be included in control operations and the training of local health personnel. Interventions were primarily mass chemotherapy, using a single dose of praziquantel (40 mg/kg), sanitation and health education. The application was still being investigated for its cost benefit. Maintenance was to be achieved through the treatment of cases at fixed centres of the basic health services. Until 1987, control activities were carried out almost entirely through a central team based in the Institut National de Recherche en Santé Publique at Bamako in a vertical fashion. The full integration into the basic health services was retarded due to the drought and famine of the years 1983 to 1985 and other factors. The programme had been active in 136 villages located in the district of Bandiagara, the Office du Niger irrigation area, the Haute Vallée Baguineda irrigation area and the Sélingué dam zone.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)