WHO Collaborating Centre for Identification & Characterization of Schistosome Strains & their Snail Intermediate Hosts

There are 4 targeted work plans highlighting the aims of this WHO collaborating Centre:    

• Characterisation of schistosomes, freshwater snails and transmission & epidemiology assessment  In collaboration with WHO, promote use of modern methodology in the field of molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics, ecology & parasitology, for the identification& characterization of schistosome species/strains & their snail intermediate hosts and conduct Research on the interactions between schistosomes and snails    
• Schistosomiaisis Reference collection  In collaboration with WHO, set a collection of reference snail species involved in transmission of  schistosomiasis and parasites responsible for disease; acting as a specimen repository and providing research specimens to the wider community.  
• Elimination of Schistosomiasis  In collaboration with WHO and SCORE implement operational studies on control and elimination of schistosomiasis using interventions to target behaviour and snail control in addition to preventive chemotherapy.
• Capacity building and Evaluation  On request of WHO to provide technical assistance to monitoring and evaluation of schistosomiasis control and elimination programmes and transmission verification surveys and to support capacity building in snail control