DAR ES SALAAM, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) — Tanzania’s Zanzibar on Saturday launched a major initiative to strengthen the fight against urinary schistosomiasis among school-age children, with the third batch of Chinese experts for the second phase of the China-aided schistosomiasis control project conducting a training session on Pemba Island.
More than 80 participants, including education officials, school heads, health volunteers, and disease control experts, attended the session, which focused on preparations to screen over 30,000 children in all 31 primary and secondary schools on the island.
Wang Wei, leader of the expert team, presented the 2025-2026 work plan and called for closer cooperation with local education authorities, noting that the training covered sample collection, feedback mechanisms, and treatment procedures, with a coordinated action plan developed to ensure effective implementation.
Saleh Juma, head of the Neglected Tropical Diseases Project Office on Pemba Island, outlined the screening model and implementation plan.
The initiative seeks to provide free and safe treatment to infected children, thereby improving their health, learning ability, and overall development, Juma said.
