New Lancet Publication Calls for Female Genital Schistosomiasis to Be Recognised as a Women's Health Priority
A new publication in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, & Women's Health is calling for greater recognition of Female Genital Schistosomiasis (FGS) as a neglected gynaecological disease that continues to affect millions of women and girls while remaining widely overlooked in health systems.
The correspondence, "Female genital schistosomiasis: hidden in plain sight," was co-authored by WINGS-4-FGS Project Coordinator Professor Amaya Bustinduy from The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), Scientific Lead Professor Margaret Gyapong from The University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS), and Principal Investigator in Malawi Dr Janelisa Musaya from the Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS), alongside Professor Kwame Shanaube. Drawing on decades of clinical and research experience across Africa, the authors argue that FGS should no longer be treated as a niche neglected tropical disease, but recognised as an important women's health issue requiring stronger integration into sexual and reproductive healthcare.
Although FGS is estimated to affect millions of women and girls living in schistosomiasis-endemic regions, it remains frequently unrecognised by healthcare providers. Many women experience symptoms such as vaginal discharge, bleeding, pelvic pain, painful intercourse, infertility, or recurrent pregnancy complications, yet are often misdiagnosed with sexually transmitted infections or other gynaecological conditions. These delays can leave women living with preventable long-term health consequences.
The publication highlights a critical gap in healthcare: the professionals most likely to encounter women with FGS, including gynaecologists, midwives, and sexual and reproductive health providers, often receive little or no training on recognising the disease. As a result, women may visit multiple health facilities over several years before receiving an accurate diagnosis, if they receive one at all.
Importantly, the authors also highlight encouraging progress already taking place across Africa. National initiatives are improving awareness, strengthening training for healthcare professionals, integrating FGS into routine health services, and expanding access to new diagnostic approaches.
This is precisely where WINGS-4-FGS contributes. The project brings together partners from Côte d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Malawi, Madagascar, and Europe to generate the evidence needed to improve diagnosis, evaluate new treatment strategies, and ensure that research leads to meaningful improvements in care for women affected by FGS. By combining clinical research, implementation science, community engagement, and policy collaboration, WINGS aims to help move FGS from an overlooked condition to one that is recognised, diagnosed, and treated within routine health systems.
Publications such as this play an important role beyond the scientific community. They help bring FGS into discussions among clinicians, researchers, policymakers, and global health organisations, strengthening the evidence base needed to improve women's reproductive health and accelerate action against this neglected disease.
Read the full publication
Bustinduy AL, Musaya J, Shanaube K, Gyapong M. "Female genital schistosomiasis: hidden in plain sight." The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, & Women's Health (2026).
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanogw/article/PIIS3050-5038(26)00173-1/fulltext