Closing in on 'perhaps the most dreadful of the remaining plagues': an independent view of the multidisciplinary alliance to optimize schistosomiasis control in Africa.

The 4-year (2006-2010) alliance to optimize schistosomiasis control and transmission surveillance in sub-Saharan Africa (CONTRAST), funded by the European Commission, stands out as a 'game-changer' by successfully harnessing and combining new as well as previously available capabilities for schistosomiasis control in selected African countries. By establishing an African research network and promoting an interactive agenda that operates simultaneously at the molecular, biological, spatial and social levels, a navigable avenue for validation and application of tools complementary to preventive chemotherapy has been opened.