ZAMBIA, like many other tropical settings is currently grappling the elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases like Schistosomiasis.
Schistosomiasis, also known as bilharziasis or snail fever, is a primarily tropical parasitic disease caused by the larvae of one or more of five types of flatworms or blood flukes known as schistosomes.
It is prevalent in tropical and subtropical areas, especially in poor communities without access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation; it is endemic in almost all the 108 districts of Zambia.
According to the Zambia Bilharzia Control Program (ZBCP), 2007, close to 3.8 million people in Zambia have bilharzias. The high burden provinces being; Lusaka 49.57%, Eastern 16.66%, Western 15%, Southern 13.62%, and Copperbelt 2.5%.
The infection is more prevalent in rural districts especially those close to water bodies such as lakes, rivers, streams and dams.
