Current status and challenge of Human Parasitology teaching in China

Abstract

Parasitic infection profile in China has been changed greatly with the rapid economic development in China since the 1980s, such as the tremendous decreased infection rate of the soil-borne helminthiasis, the elimination of filariasis, the control of malaria, and the initiation to eradicate malaria in 2020. Some food-borne parasitic infections have increased such as Clonorchiasis, Cysticercosis, and Echinococcosis, probably because of the increased chances of eating out. This trend directly affected the status of Human Parasitology teaching in medical universities, such as the shorten length of this course, re-adjusted contents structure and teaching manners, even the change of the name of this course. In this paper, we analyzed the current status and challenges of Human Parasitology teaching in medical universities, and discussed the requisite contents and manners in course delivery and measures to improve the quality of Human Parasitology teaching in China.

Keywords:

• Human parasitology
• Teaching
• China

We thank Dr Yonglong Li and Dr Zhongdao Wu for Human Parasitology teaching data. This work was supported by grants from the Essence Course and Bilingual Teaching Demonstration Course for Human Parasitology, Guangdong Province Universities and Colleges Pearl River Scholar Funded Scheme (2009) to X-GC, and Provincial research personnel fostered by Guangdong Province ‘Thousand, Hundred and Ten’ program to H-JP.