The National Institute of Parasitic Diseases (IPD), Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC), is the only specialized institution for parasitology at the national level, which was renamed on 23rd January 2002. Its earliest precursor, Huadong Branch of the National Institute of Health was established in Nanjing in 1950.  It was named in 1956 as the Institute of Parasitic Diseases (IPD), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS). In 1957, the Hainan Anti-malaria Station, CAMS, was merged into the Institute and both moved to Shanghai.  In 1983, the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine (CAPM) was organized by separating institutions from the CAMS and the IPD became part of it.

At present, the Institute has a total staff of 180.  Among them, 121 are professionals with 42 holding senior professional titles.  Over the past two decades, sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO), other international agencies or bilateral collaborative projects, dozens of the professional staff were sent to foreign countries to be trained. Twenty of them have returned to the Institute and are playing an important role as leaders or principal investigators for research and control activities.

According to the national health policy and the functions of China CDC, the principal tasks of the Institute are as follows:

1. To carry out epidemiological surveillance and study on the distribution and development of parasitic diseases and tropical diseases so as to offer the rational basis and technical support for developing policies or regulations, criteria, norms and programs that related to the diseases;
2. To formulate and implement the working schemes on prevention and control of parasitic diseases and tropical diseases, monitor the quality and evaluate the effect;
3. To conduct the technical guidance, quality control and surveillance for the national programs on the prevention and control of parasitic diseases and tropical diseases;
4. To set up and improve the disease surveillance system, offer professional consultation on the identification of pathogens and vectors, and deal with the accidental events and disastrous situation of parasitic diseases and tropical diseases;
5. To study on the strategies and measures of disease control and prevention, and transfer research achievement, novel techniques and methods;
6. To cooperate with relevant international organizations in the area of parasitic diseases and tropical diseases and exchange information nationally and internationally;
7. To carry out health education and health promotion on parasitic diseases and tropical diseases;
8. To provide relevant information, health consultation, and services on the diagnosis and treatment of parasitic diseases and tropical diseases to the society;
9. To train professional personnel;
10. To accomplish other tasks assigned by the authorities.