In 1975 the Special Programme for Schistosomiasis Control
was introduced in Brazil with the objective of controlling this
parasitic disease in six northeastern states. The methodology
applied varied largely from state to state, but was based mainly
on chemotherapy, This Programme was modified about ten years
after it beginning with the main goals including control of
morbidity and the blockage of establishment of new foci in
non-endemic areas. In two states, Bahia and Minas Gerais, the
schistosomiasis control programme started in 1979 and 1983,
respectively. The recently made evaluation of those two
programmes is the main focus of this paper. It must also be
pointed out, that the great majority of the studies performed by
different researchers in Brazil, at different endemic areas,
consistently found significant decrease on prevalence and
incidence, when control measures are repeatedly used for several
years. Significant decrease of hepatosplenic forms in the studied
areas is well documented in Brazil. After more than 20 years of
schistosomiasis control programmes in our country, chemotherapy
has shown to be a very important tool for the control of
morbidity and to decrease prevalence and incidence in endemic
areas. Nevertheless, in medium and long terms, sanitation, water
supply, sewage draining and health education seem to be the real
tools when the aim is persistent and definitive schistosomiasis
control.
