Abstract:

On the 70th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China, the author looks back to the national programs for parasite control started in the early 1950s and summarizes their accomplishments. On the nationwide scale, the transmission of schistosomiasis has been controlled, no indigenous case of malaria reported in 2017, lymphatic filariasis eliminated since 2006, local prevalence or sporadic cases of visceral leishmaniasis reported only in the western region, and soil-transmitted nematode infections decreased to a fairly low level which poses no more threat in most previously endemic areas. Evidently, these achievements come from the socialistic system which endorses a firm government commitment, the dedicated technical teams, and the community involvement. Though an outstanding success among the developing countries, continued endeavors are needed to finally eliminate the above-mentioned parasites but also to control hydatidosis, clonorchiasis and other zoonotic parasitic infections.

Key words: China, Parasitic disease, Control