Control programme for cystic echinococcosis in Uruguay

Cystic echinococcosis is a highly endemic parasitic zoonosis that is present in the Southern Cone countries of America. For several decades, various prevention and control programmes have been implemented in different countries and regions, with varying results. In Uruguay, a new control programme was implemented in 2006 that employed new strategies for canine diagnosis and treatment, dog population control, diagnosis in humans, epidemiological surveillance, and health education, including community participation. The control programme in Uruguay addresses the control and surveillance of the disease from a holistic perspective based on Primary Health Care, which has strengthened the community’s participation in developing and coordinating activities in an interdisciplinary manner. Similarly, the control programme that is currently implemented is based on a risk-focused approach. The surveillance and control measures were focused on small villages and extremely poor urban areas. In this study, the strategies used and the results obtained from 2008-2013 are analysed and discussed.

El proyecto subregional cono sur de control y vigilancia de la hidatidosis / The southern cone sub-regional project on cystic echinococosis control and surveillance

El Proyecto Subregional Cono Sur de Control y Vigilancia de la Hidatidosis: Argentina, Brasil, Chile y Uruguay, es una herramienta conjunta y colaborativa de los países para promover la implantación o el fortalecimiento de los programas de control. Se hace una descripción de los antecedentes, de los aspectos institucionales que regulan su organicidad y funcionamiento y de las líneas de acción definidas en el proyecto técnico operativo. Se destaca los logros obtenidos a través de los Proyectos de Cooperación Técnica entre Países así como el desarrollo de enfoques integrales e innovadores y la formación de recursos humanos de los programas de control. Algunos de los desafíos futuros son: lograr la sustentabilidad del Proyecto, implementar los grupos técnicos de análisis y evaluación a solicitud de los países, mejorar los sistemas de información regionales, continuar las actividades de capacitación y entrenamiento de recursos humanos y la expansión y fortalecimiento de la cooperación técnica entre países.

Southern Cone Sub-Regional Project on Cystic Echinococcosis Control and Surveillance: Argentina, Brasil, Chile and Uruguay, is a joint and collaborative tool with the aim of promoting the implementation or the strengthening of programs for disease control. The paper describes the background, the institutional aspects that regulates the structure and functions, as well as the guidelines defined in the technical and operational project. The article emphasize the achievements through Projects of Technical Cooperation among Countries, and the development of integrated and innovative approaches for prevention and control of the disease and training of human resources of the control programs. Some of the challenges are: to achieve the sustainability of the project, implementation of technical groups for analysis and assessment at request of the countries, improvement of the regional information systems, to continue training human resources of the control programs and to expand and strengthen the technical cooperation among countries.