Thai-German Liver Fluke Control Project

PROJECT DURATION

September 1988 – April 1995

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Under the Thai-German Liver Fluke Control project, a liver flukes control programme was implemented in seven provinces in Northeast Thailand e.g. Ubon Ratchathani, Khon Kaen. The most important innovation was the establishment of mobile units which visited the different villages engaging in the diagnosis and treatment of liver flukes infection. The local people paid partial diagnosis and treatment costs. Additionally, media materials for health education (e.g. poster, manuals, and cassette tapes) were produced to conduct trainings. Therewith the project significantly contributed to reducing infections in the defined target area.

During the first phase of the project (1988-1992), the project worked primarily “on the ground” and in the later stages, activities focused on improving strategies for a grassroots disease control and the gradual integration of guidelines and strategies into the national programme. To this end, the project provided technical support, model development, management systems, evaluation protocols and technical staff training.