Lawmakers call for probe into neglected snail fever ravaging poor farmers, fisherfolk, their families

HOUSE Minority Leader Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan has called for a congressional inquiry into the government’s campaign against schistosomiasis or “snail fever,” a long-neglected disease that continues to ravage poor farmers, fisherfolk, and their family members in rural communities across the Visayas and Mindanao. Libanan, together with Eastern Samar Rep. Christopher Sheen Gonzales, have filed House Resolution No. 1059 urging the House committee on health to investigate, in aid of legislation, the implementation and effectiveness of the Department of Health’s Schistosomiasis Control and Elimination Program (SCEP). “Schistosomiasis is one of those diseases that has remained neglected largely because it disproportionately strikes the poorest and most vulnerable Filipinos—subsistence farmers, fisherfolk, and their children,” Libanan, a 4Ps party-list representative, said in a statement. “For many families living in endemic areas, exposure to infested freshwater is an unavoidable part of daily life and livelihood. Yet despite years of government interventions, the disease continues to persist in many communities,” Libanan added. Although a lawyer by profession, Libanan also holds a degree in medical technology. According to the resolution, schistosomiasis remains a serious public health concern in at least 28 provinces, particularly in rural and agricultural areas in the Visayas and Mindanao, including parts of Eastern Visayas, Caraga, and Northern Mindanao. The disease is caused by the parasite Schistosoma japonicum, which is transmitted through contact with freshwater contaminated by infected snails. It can lead to chronic abdominal pain, diarrhea, liver enlargement, anemia, stunted growth in children, reduced physical capacity, and, in severe cases, irreversible organ damage. Libanan stressed the need to determine why transmission continues despite long-running government control efforts. “We have to identify the policy and implementation gaps that allow this preventable disease to persist. Every year that schistosomiasis remains endemic, it exacts a heavy toll on the health, productivity, and economic well-being of affected families,” Libanan said. The DOH’s Schistosomiasis Control and Elimination Program already employs a multi-pronged strategy that includes annual mass drug administration, snail control measures, water and sanitation initiatives, disease surveillance, and public health education campaigns. However, Libanan pointed out that continuing transmission in endemic communities suggests persistent challenges involving program coverage, treatment compliance, environmental control measures, and coordination among government agencies. The resolution also highlights the unique difficulty of eliminating schistosomiasis because the parasite infects not only humans but also animals such as carabaos, cattle, and dogs, which can serve as reservoirs that sustain transmission. Libanan said the congressional inquiry would help determine whether more aggressive and better-funded interventions are needed to finally eradicate the disease. “We need to find out what is working, what is not working, and what additional measures are necessary to finally break the cycle of infection. No Filipino family should continue suffering from a disease that is both preventable and treatable,” he said. Under the resolution, the House committee on health is urged to consider recommendations that may include enhanced funding, intensified mass drug administration campaigns, stronger inter-agency collaboration, improved water and sanitation infrastructure, expanded veterinary interventions targeting animal reservoirs, and sustained community education programs. “The continued presence of schistosomiasis is not only a public health issue; it is also a rural development and anti-poverty issue. The government must ensure that vulnerable communities are no longer left behind in the fight against this debilitating disease,” Libanan said.