DAR ES SALAAM, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- The China-aided Zanzibar schistosomiasis prevention and control expert team in Tanzania's Zanzibar recently awarded Matungu Primary School on Pemba Island the plaque of schistosomiasis health education model school.
More than 200 participants attended the event, including Pemba Island's government and health officials, officials from China's Jiangsu Province, representatives from the Pemba education sector, as well as teachers and students.
Speaking at the event, Zhou Minghao, deputy director of the Health Commission of Jiangsu Province, commended Matungu Primary School for its notable achievements over the past two years in promoting schistosomiasis health education.
Zhou presented the model school plaque to Matungu Primary School on behalf of the expert team. He also donated schoolbags, stationery, and exercise books to all teachers and students, underscoring the team's commitment to supporting both education and health.
The school has incorporated prevention knowledge into its curriculum and adopted diversified approaches suited to local needs, organizing hand-copied newspaper and painting competitions, creating health-themed promotional walls, posting warning slogans in classrooms, and conducting interactive question-and-answer sessions and themed morning assemblies.
Zhou said these efforts have helped integrate disease-prevention knowledge into campuses, classrooms, and daily life.
South Pemba Regional Commissioner Rashid Hadidi Rashid expressed gratitude for China's long-standing support, noting that schistosomiasis remains a major public health challenge in the region.
He highlighted the vital role of school-based education in prevention, saying Matungu Primary School's efforts have strengthened students' self-protection capabilities and encouraged greater family and community involvement. ■
