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During this iCHORDS Knowledge Cafe (2024), Dr. Carol Vlassoff discusses one of the most neglected human rights and reproductive health issues globally, female genital schistosomiasis (FGS). The presentation outlines the applications of existing human rights and gender-sensitive frameworks to assist countries in schistosomiasis-endemic areas in mounting an appropriate health system response to FGS.

This video was originally recorded from a breakout session at the 2023 Coalition for Operational Research for NTDs meeting in Chicago (November 2023). Over the last decade, there has been a renewed interest in FGS from global partners and within the research community. There has been an increased number of publications and research activities to bring the issues of FGS to the attention of endemic districts, national health systems, and academic institutions. The concern is, after the research project has ended, how often do the actions and recommendations result in lasting program implementation or policy change?

Nursing Now Challenge (2022) with Ruth Allotey, Dr. Kazeem Arogundade and Caroline Pensotti

The Ghana Broadcasting Corporation coverage of FGS Subject Matter Training in Ghana

Ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic: the impact of tacking Female Genital Schistosomiasis with Professor Margaret Gyapong and Dr. Amaya Bustinduy

Neglected needs of women’s health: A 15-minute Global Health Symposuium with Dr. Julie Jacobson

Check out these publications which highlight some of the research results and knowledge generated as part of The FAST Package:

Krentel A, Arogundade K, Raharinivo M, Opare J, Rasoamanamihaja CF, Randrianasolo FH, Dalaba MA, Immurana M, Umbelino-Walker I, Pensotti C, Sangare M, Patel K, Jacobson J, Gyapong M. (2024) A holistic approach to address female genital schistosomiasis: the FGS Acclerated Scale Together Package. Frontiers in Tropical Diseases Volume 5 – 2024 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fitd.2024.1395467

Gyapong M, Dalaba MA, Immurana M, Manyeh AK, Arogundade K, Jacobson J, Krentel A. (2024) Breaking the silence of female genital schistosomiasis in Ghana’s health system: A case of health workers within the FAST project. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 18(9): e0012443. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0012443

Vlassoff C, Arogundade K, Patel K, Jacobson J, Gyapong M, Krentel A. Improving the Response of Health Systems to Female Genital Schistosomiasis in Endemic Countries through a Gender-Sensitive Human Rights-Based Framework. Diseases. 2022 Dec 14;10(4):125. doi: 10.3390/diseases10040125. PMID: 36547211; PMCID: PMC9777435.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36547211/

Jacobson J, Pantelias A, Williamson M, Kjetland EF, Krentel A, Gyapong M, Mbabazi PS, Djirmay AG. Addressing a silent and neglected scourge in sexual and reproductive health in Sub-Saharan Africa by development of training competencies to improve prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of female genital schistosomiasis (FGS) for health workers. Reprod Health. 2022 Jan 24;19(1):20. doi: 10.1186/s12978-021-01252-2. PMID: 35073965; PMCID: PMC8785555.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35073965/