SIXTY-FIFTH WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY Agenda item 13.11
WHA65.21 26 May 2012
Elimination of schistosomiasis The Sixty-fifth World Health Assembly, Having considered the report on the elimination of schistosomiasis;1 Recalling resolutions WHA3.26, WHA28.53, WHA29.58 and WHA54.19 on schistosomiasis; Noting the resolution EM/RC54/R.3 on neglected tropical diseases: an emerging public health problem in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, adopted by the Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean, which called on Member States, inter alia, to sustain successful control activities in areas of low transmission in order to eliminate schistosomiasis; Expressing concern that schistosomiasis remains a major public health problem in countries endemic for the disease, and that the goal set in resolution WHA54.19 of attaining a minimum target of regular administration of chemotherapy to at least 75% of school-age children at risk of morbidity was not achieved by 2010; Noting the extension in coverage of treatment of schistosomiasis from 12 million people in 2006 to 32.6 million people in 2010, the greater access to praziquantel as a result of donations, and increased support from partners to countries endemic for the disease for control of neglected tropical diseases; Congratulating Member States, the Secretariat and partners for increasing access to praziquantel and resources to scale up schistosomiasis control; Encouraged that some countries endemic for schistosomiasis have interrupted its transmission; Congratulating those countries endemic for schistosomiasis that, with strengthened control programmes and surveillance, have reported no new autochthonous cases of schistosomiasis, 1. CALLS ON all countries endemic for schistosomiasis: (1) to attach importance to prevention and control of schistosomiasis, to analyse and develop applicable plans with progressive targets, to intensify control interventions and to strengthen surveillance;
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Document A65/21.
WHA65.21
(2) to take full advantage of non-health programmes to improve the environment, in order to cut the transmission of schistosomiasis and accelerate the elimination of the intermediate host; (3) to ensure the provision of essential medicines;
2. URGES Member States, the Secretariat and partners to provide support to countries endemic for schistosomiasis to expand control programmes; 3. REQUESTS the Director-General: (1) to encourage Member States and the international community to make available the necessary and sufficient means and resources, particularly medicines, and water, sanitation, and hygiene interventions, to intensify control programmes in most disease-endemic countries and initiate elimination campaigns, where appropriate; (2) to prepare guidance for Member States in order to determine when to initiate elimination campaigns, along with methods for implementing programmes and documenting success; (3) to assess, on request, the interruption of transmission in the appropriate Member States, to analyse the global status of schistosomiasis prevention and control, the epidemic model, and key challenges, so as to provide targeted recommendations and guidance; (4) to elaborate a procedure to evaluate the interruption of transmission of schistosomiasis in the countries concerned with a view to certifying that transmission has been eliminated in these countries; (5) during the post-elimination phase, to support countries that have been certified free of schistosomiasis to pursue preventive actions designed to avoid the reintroduction of transmission of the disease; (6) to report every three years through the Executive Board to the World Health Assembly on progress in implementing this resolution.
Tenth plenary meeting, 26 May 2012 A65/VR/10
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