Schistosoma haematobium in Morocco: moving from control to elimination

In this article, Hammou Laamrani and colleagues summarize the Moroccan schistosomiasis control programme and discuss the challenges ahead for schistosomiasis elimination. In 1994, a programme was initiated by the Moroccan Ministry of Health to eliminate schistosomiasis from Morocco by the year 2004. In 1997, this objective had been achieved in three out of 20 affected provinces. This article discusses the background and strategies of this programme, as well as the achievements, the problems encountered and the challenges ahead, along with suggestions as to how to reach the goal of elimination of urinary schistosomiasis in Morocco, and possibly elsewhere in Africa.