Training in ultrasound for diagnosis of morbidity due to S. haematobium infection

A workshop on ultrasound for West African National control programmes has taken place in Niamey, Niger from 14 to 24 September.

In the framework of the reinforcement of technical knowledge at country level, a workshop on ultrasound for West African National control programmes has taken place in Niamey, Niger from 14 to 24 September.

The workshop was officially opened by the Minister of Public Health of Niger, Mr Mamadou Sourghia. Many official guests, including the WHO Representative attended the ceremony. SCI was represented by Professor Jean Roux.

The aim of this course was to train specialists able to undertake the ultrasound component of the monitoring and evaluation studies which are an essential part of the control programmes in SCI-financed countries.

Ultrasound has rapidly imposed itself as the standard tool to evaluate the morbidity due to schistosomiasis, as it allows direct visualisation of pathological lesions. Moreover, portable ultrasound has made it possible to realize such exams in the field. Ultrasound has proven essential to validate other indicators of morbidity and to evaluate all the phase of the implementation of a schistosomiasis control programme.

The participants to this workshop were 10 in total: three from each SCI West African country (Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger) plus one from SCI (Dr Albis Gabrielli).

Training sessions were under the direct responsibility of three experienced ultrasound specialists: Dr Amadou Garba and Dr Tahirou Almoustapha from Niger, and Dr Adama Keita from Mali. Programme and teaching methods were largely inspired by WHO guidelines on ultrasound training (Technical Report n.875) and by the Image Report on the Niamey 1996 Workshop on schistosomiasis morbidity.