On 25 March 2016, Dr.Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, visited National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, China CDC. Her colleagues, Dr. Delanyo Yao Tsidi Dovlo, Director of Health Systems & Services Cluster (HSS), Dr. Emil Jones Asamoah-Odei, Chief of Staff of Office of the Regional Director, and Dr. Adiele Nkasiobi Onyeze, Neglected Tropical Diseases Mapping Project Coordinator together with Dr. Bernhard Schwartlander, Representative and Dr. Li Xiaohong, Programme Officer of WHO China Office visited NIPD. Prof. Zhou Xiaonong, Director of NIPD, Dr. Zhou Shuisen, Chief of Malaria Department, Dr. Xu Jing, Deputy Chief of Schistosomiasis Department, and Dr. Chen Junhu, Deputy Chief of Key laboratory of NIPD attended the meeting with WHO delegation.

Prof. Zhou Xiaonong introduced the control strategy and current epidemic status of malaria, schistosomiasis, filariasis and other tropical diseases in China, and gave a short presentation on the progress of NIPD’s actions on global health and China-Africa collaboration on tropical diseases.

Dr. Moeti appreciated China’s achievement on control of tropical diseases and was impressed by NIPD’s pilot malaria control project in Tanzania. She encouraged NIPD to step further on China-Africa collaboration on tropical diseases control and expressed fully support to NIPD’s disease control efforts in Africa. Dr. Bernhard Schwartlander, indicated that NIPD, as the WHO Collaborating Centre, not only focus its mission on research, but also actively working in the field, therefore, the visit of WHO Regional Office for Africa delegation will be an opportunity for NIPD to deepen its collaboration with African countries.

During the meeting, the three parties had agreed to coordinate among WHO China Country Office, Regional Office for Africa and the headquarter, by routine email and teleconference, to settle down the collaboration into immediate practice.

After the meeting, the WHO delegation visited the Museum for Medical Parasitology, Entomology and Molluscology, and laboratory in NIPD. Prof. Zhou Xiaonong and Dr. Adiele Nkasiobi Onyeze had a detailed discussion on collaborating for schistosomiasis control in Africa.