Abstract

























The formation of GNOSIS 2000 took place during a Team Residency at the Bellagio Study and Conference Center sponsored by the Rockefeller Foundation. The aim of theTeam Residency was to develop a network of collaborating health workers and earth scientists dedicated to development of global computer-based models that can be used for improved control programs for schistosomiasis and other snail-borne diseases of medical and veterinary importance. Emerging geographic information systems (GIS) and satellite sensor technology, available environmental databases and epidemiologic data on snail borne disease will be used to match the distribution and abundance of disease to the environmental preferences and limits of tolerance of parasite-snail-human biological systems. A workplan was developed to use the internet to facilitate communication, collaboration and data sharing by regional participants, recruit new participants, and to allow access of other medical scientists to global models that may be used for more effective control program management of snail borne disease.