03009nas a2200289   4500000000100000008004100001653001700042653001000059653001700069653001300086653002000099653003900119653002200158653002000180653001600200100001700216700001100233700001600244700002000260700001200280245005600292856011100348300000800459490000600467520223200473022001402705       2017                            d10aTransmission10aTools10aSurveillance10aStrategy10aschistosomiasis10aNeglected tropical diseases (NTDs)10aMorbidity control10aGlobal alliance10aElimination1 aBergquist RN1 aZhou X1 aRollinson D1 aReinhard-Rupp J1 aKlohe K00aElimination of schistosomiasis: the tools required.  uhttps://idpjournal.biomedcentral.com/track/pdf/10.1186/s40249-017-0370-7?site=idpjournal.biomedcentral.com  a1580 v63 a<p><strong>BACKGROUND: </strong>Historically, the target in the schistosomiasis control has shifted from infection to morbidity, then back to infection, but now as a public health problem, before moving on to transmission control. Currently, all endemic countries are encouraged to increase control efforts and move towards elimination as required by the World Health Organization (WHO) roadmap for the global control of the neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and the WHA65.21 resolution issued by the World Health Assembly. However, schistosomiasis prevalence is still alarmingly high and the global number of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) due to this infection has in fact increased due to inclusion of some 'subtle' clinical symptoms not previously counted.</p>

<p><strong>MAIN BODY: </strong>There is a need to restart and improve efforts to reach the elimination goal. To that end, the first conference of the Global Schistosomiasis Alliance (GSA) Research Working Group was held in mid-June 2016 in Shanghai, People's Republic of China. It reviewed current progress in schistosomiasis control and elimination, identified pressing operational research gaps that need to be addressed and discussed new tools and strategies required to make elimination a reality. The articles emanating from the lectures and discussions during this meeting, together with some additional invited papers, have been collected as a special issue of the 'Infectious Diseases of Poverty' entitled 'Schistosomiasis Research: Providing the Tools Needed for Elimination', consisting of 26 papers in all. This paper refers to these papers and discusses critical questions arising at the conference related to elimination of schistosomiasis.</p>

<p><strong>CONCLUSION: </strong>The currently most burning questions are the following: Can schistosomiasis be eliminated? Does it require better, more highly sensitive diagnostics? What is the role of preventive chemotherapy at the elimination stage? Is praziquantel sufficient or do we need new drugs? Contemplating these questions, it is felt that the heterogeneity of the endemic areas in the world requires WHO policies to be upgraded instituting new, differentiated guidelines.</p>
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