To summarize the outcomes produced in the Study on Applying Chinese Practices to Stop Transmission of Schistosomiasis Mekongi, a project of the Global Engagement Program of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), and share China’s experience in schistosomiasis control, SJTU School of Medicine - Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research School of Global Health (SGH) held a virtual international workshop on promoting the outcomes of the Global Engagement Program on August 25th. Over 40 Chinese and foreign experts attended the workshop, including Deputy Dean of SJTU School of Medicine (SoM) Hu Yiqun, Deputy Director of the Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs Office of SJTU International Affairs Division Yao Xue, Executive Deputy Dean of the Graduate School of SJTU School of Medicine Dong Yan, and Deputy Deans of the SGH Zhou Xiaonong and Guo Xiaokui, as well as those from the World Health Organization (WHO), the WHO Western Pacific, Fudan University, Peking University, the Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research (CCTDR), the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (University of Basel), the Lao Tropical and Public Health Institute and the Cambodian National Center for Parasitology, Entomology and Malaria Control. The workshop was chaired by Zhou Xiaonong.
The workshop started with a welcome speech delivered by Hu Yiqun, where he extended his gratitude on behalf of SJTU SoM to the students, supervisors and domestic and international experts involved in the study as part of the Global Engagement Program for the outcomes produced. Stressing that SJTU SoM has had longstanding cooperation with internationally-renowned universities and colleges as well as extensive communication and collaboration with the Southeast Asian countries, he expected to see greater cooperation between SJTU SoM and health care institutions of other countries under the strategic framework of China’s “Belt and Road” initiative, and build on the existing cooperation with the Southeast Asian countries in prevention and control of tropical diseases to deepen cooperation and share Chinese best practices, in conjunction with the SGH and the Lancang-Mekong Joint Laboratory for Prevention and Control of Tropical Diseases that just won the approval for establishment.
He was followed by Yao Xue who introduced the developments made since the Global Engagement Program was launched, including its vision, objective, case studies and plans for the future. She looked forward to continued close communication between the SGH and the International Affairs Division to provide better international communication for SJTU.
Supervisor for the project of the Global Engagement Program associate research fellow Lv Shan introduced the background, design and implementation of the project. 4 students then presented a report to the experts on evaluating the eradication of schistosomiasis mekongi with Chinese practices in schistosomiasis prevention and control. They introduced China’s practices in preventing and controlling schistosomiasis, displayed the system of indicators for China’s schistosomiasis prevention and control established by the project team and the applicable conditions, analyzed current difficulties and challenges confronting Laos and Cambodia in eradicating schistosomiasis mekongi, elaborated on the possibility of applying China’s practices in preventing and controlling and recommended to Laos and Cambodia China’s philosophy and technology in schistosomiasis prevention and control.
Chinese and foreign experts commented on the presentation and asked questions. They praised the students for their excellent presentation and congratulated them on the outcomes, and engaged in in-depth discussion over a host of issues, such as how to apply China’s practices in preventing and controlling schistosomiasis, the differences between China and Laos and Cambodia in the prevalence of schistosomiasis, and how to promote local implementation of China’s experience and practices in other countries. In his concluding remarks, Zhou Xiaonong said that this project offered the students a golden opportunity to communicate with some of the world-class experts and provided the students specializing in different fields of study with an understanding of schistosomiasis prevention and control. He also stressed the need to work on multiple tasks and solve multiple practical and academic problems in the ongoing efforts to apply China’s practices in schistosomiasis prevention and control based on the comments and recommendations of the experts. And he expressed his hope that field visits could be arranged for students to the areas with high prevalence of schistosomiasis mekongi in Laos and Cambodia after the COVID-19 pandemic winds down in a bid to further study local application of China’s practices.
The outcomes wouldn’t have been made without the hard work of each and every student that was involved in the project. They have reached their expected objective, and their teamwork has been well demonstrated throughout the project over the past two months, including in literature study, expert instruction, field research, discussion among international students, report writing and outcomes summary, as well as in the transition from the ones without any knowledge of schistosomiasis prevention and control to those who presented their research outcomes to domestic and international experts in schistosomiasis and global health.
