The greatest current concern is in Africa where most of the transmission is taking place, despite the availability of effective tools for disease control such as drugs and simplified diagnostic methods developed with the support of WHO,'' says the UN health body. Bilharzia affects both children and adults. In children, it affects growth and retards mental development. Because of the loss of blood through urine, Bilharzia weakens the infected patient, causing anaemia. An infected person is more susceptible to any outbreak of disease, such as tuberculosis, meningitis, cholera because the immune system is weak,'' says Dr Shehata, an Egyptian tropical public health specialists who has headed the research team since 1987.
Prevalence differs from one area to another.
It is high in rural areas where there is no water supply system. Bilharziasis, also known as Schistosomiasis in some endemic areas, is a leading cause of severe morbidity in many parts of the world. Refugee movements and population displacements in the Horn of Africa have also introduced intestinal schistosomiasis to Somalia. About 80 percent of all the people infected with schistosomiasis are in sub-Saharan Africa. While effective tools for disease control such as safe drugs and simplified diagnostic methods are available, they are not accessible to the populations most in need.