Strengthening echinococcosis prevention and control

Informal Working Groups on Echinococcosis were founded in 1985 under the auspices of the WHO. For 10 years, under the leadership of Professor J. Eckert (University of Zurich, Switzerland), the groups organized meetings of specialists and promoted international scientific exchange and co-operation in the field of echinococcosis research. In 1995, the WHO modified the structure of the groups and transformed them into a single group, the WHO Informal Working Group on Echinococcosis (WHO-IWGE). The mission of the WHO-IWGE is to strengthen prevention and control of echinococcosis through effective collaboration with strategic partners and relevant sectors.

The current Chair of the WHO-IWGE is Professor Thomas Junghanss (Heidelberg University, Germany), and Co-Chair is Professor Okan Akhan (Hacettepe University, Turkey). 

Previous IWGE Chairs

• Professor P. Kern, Ulm University, Germany, 2011-2015.
• Professor P. Craig, University of Salford, Manchester, UK, 2005-2010.
• Dr P. Schantz, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, USA, 2000-2004.
• Professor D. Vuitton, University Hospital, Besançon, France, 1995-1999.
• Professor J. Eckert, University of Zurich, Switzerland, 1985-1995.

 

Key contributions and work of the WHO-IWGE

• In 1995, the WHO-IWGE developed a standardized classification of cystic echinococcosis (CE) that could be applied in all settings.
• In 2001, the WHO in conjunction with the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), published the WHO/OIE Manual on Echinococcosis in Humans and Animals: a Public Health Problem of Global Concern.
• In 2009, the consensus for diagnosis and treatment of CE and alveolar echinococcosis (AE) reached by the WHO-IWGE was published (Brunetti et al, 2010), providing updated guidelines for diagnosis and treatment.
• The WHO-IWGE is in the process of reviewing the diagnosis and associated clinical management of echinococcosis and elaborating technical manuals with practical applicability.Several workings groups have been created to cover the different aspects of the diseases and are working on creating those documents. The group is also working to promote the collection and mapping of epidemiological data.