National Major Parasitic Disease Comprehensive Prevention and Control Working Conference and 2024 Annual National Parasitic Disease Surveillance, Prevention and Control Work Conference was successfully held in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province

From May 9 to 10, 2024, the National Administration of Disease Control and Prevention (NADCP) and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) held the National Major Parasitic Disease Comprehensive Prevention and Control Promotion Meeting and the 2024 National Parasitic Disease Monitoring and Prevention Work conference in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province. The conference deployed the implement the "National Comprehensive Prevention and Control Implementation Plan for Major Parasitic Diseases (2024–2030)," summarized the progress and achievements of national major parasitic disease surveillance, prevention and control, exchanged the latest research advancements and work experiences in the field of parasitic disease prevention, and would greatly promote the prevention and control work of major parasitic Diseases. Lu Jiang, deputy director of NADCP, attended and delivered a key speech at the meeting. Li Qun, deputy director of China CDC, officials from relevant departments of national ministries, leaders of provincial Bureau of Disease control and Prevention, leaders of provincial CDC and parasitic disease prevention institutions, leaders and experts from the Parasitic Disease Institute, the Department of Infectious Diseases, the Global Public Health Center, the Emergency Center, and the Information Center of China CDC, more than 200 participants attended the meeting. The Deputy Secretary-General of the Shanxi Provincial People’s Government attended, contributing a warm welcome speech to the proceedings. Deputy Director of the Department of Health Immunization of NADCP, Li Xiaocui, presided over the opening ceremony of the meeting.

 

Lu Jiang highlighted that the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the State Council have attached great importance to the prevention and control of parasitic diseases. Especially since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core, has prioritized people's health and life, promoting parasitic disease prevention from the strategic height of Healthy China. A large number of patients have been timely identified and effectively treated, and major parasitic diseases have reached their lowest prevalence levels in history, achieving remarkable results in parasitic disease prevention and control. She emphasized the imperative to fully acknowledge the risks and challenges in parasitic disease prevention and control work, and raise vigilance and preventive awareness. Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics in the New Era, deeply implementing the spirit of the 20th CPC National Congress and the Second Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, comprehensively understanding Xi Jinping's important expositions on Chinese modernization and the development of new productive forces, and earnestly implementing the State Council's "Guiding Opinions on Promoting the High-Quality Development of the Disease Prevention and Control Undertaking," we must adhere to "overall planning, systematic restructuring, and comprehensive improvement," stick to a goal-oriented approach, strengthen organizational leadership, ensure close departmental coordination, and implement comprehensive prevention and control measures categorized by disease types. This includes enhancing monitoring and early warning, risk assessment, emergency response, capacity building, technological empowerment, and international cooperation to fully achieve the goal of controlling and eliminating various parasitic diseases by 2030.

 

At the meeting, Ji Yong Cai, director of a division of the department of Health Immunization of NADCP, elucidated "National Comprehensive Prevention and Control Implementation Plan for Major Parasitic Diseases (2024-2030)" in detail. Zhang Yanping, director of the department of infectious diseases of China CDC, outlined the challenges and response measures for the prevention and control of major parasitic diseases in China. Li Shizhu, director of the Parasitic Disease Institute of China CDC, delivered a special report on parasitic disease surveillance, early warning, and risk assessment. Experts from relevant departments such as agriculture, rural affairs, and customs exchanged experiences on the prevention and control of zoonotic parasitic diseases and imported parasitic diseases. Leaders and experts from the department of infectious diseases and the parasitic disease institute of China CDC made presentations and exchanges the global and domestic situation of major parasitic diseases, the risk of imported diseases, comprehensive prevention and control, scientific research progress, and the arrangement of key work for 2024. Six provinces, including Shanxi, Guangdong, Sichuan, Yunnan, Jiangsu, and Jiangxi, shared their practices, new technology applications, and outcomes in the prevention and control of visceral leishmaniasis, clonorchiasis, echinococcosis, malaria, and schistosomiasis respectively.

 

The attendees expressed that the conference provided a systematic and comprehensive overview of the current situation, main risks, and comprehensive prevention and control strategy and measures for major parasitic diseases in China, along with the planning objectives and work deployment requirements for the goal in 2030.This meeting achieved the purpose of raising the stance, unifying the mindset, and promoting collaborative efforts, which is of great significance for implementing the key tasks of parasitic disease prevention and control in the new era and fully promoting the work of controlling and eliminating of major parasitic diseases.