IN THIS MONTH'S BULLETIN

WHO 60th anniversary commemorative volume

This month's cover shows a classic public health poster on schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease that still affects about 200 million people despite five decades of prevention and control programmes. In an editorial, Myra Taylor (738) introduces three papers on current schistosomiasis control efforts: Xun-Ya Hou et al. (788–795) evaluate different combinations of drugs used to treat acute schistosomiasis in China; Veronica L Tallo et al. (765–771) examine the factors that determine participation in a mass chemotherapy programme in the Philippines; and Seydou Touré et al. (780–787) report on praziquantel treatment for schoolchildren in Burkina Faso.

In an interview (747–748), Dr Halfdan Mahler, director-general of WHO from 1973 to 1988, reminisces about the Declaration of Alma-Ata and talks about his hopes for the revival of 'health for all'. In a news feature, Fiona Fleck (745–746) reports on the origins of the landmark primary health care conference that took place 30 years ago in Soviet Kazakhstan.

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Estimating the global extent of human herpesvirus 2 infections

Katharine J Looker et al. (805–812) estimate that more than 500 million people have been exposed to this virus (known formerly as herpes simplex type 2).

Poverty reduction stalled

Marco Palma-Solís et al. (772–779) examine countries' lack of progress towards the Millennium Development Goal of reducing poverty.