Researchers Call for Urgent Integration of Female Genital Schistosomiasis Screening into HIV and Cervical Cancer Programmes

A new paper published in The Lancet Microbe is urging health authorities to urgently integrate screening for female genital schistosomiasis (搜索)搜索该疾病 (FGS) into existing HIV (搜索)搜索该疾病, cervical cancer (搜索)搜索该疾病, and sexual health programmes, warning that continued neglect of this parasitic disease risks undermining wider global health goals.

Researchers from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine查看公司主页 (LSTM), the Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Programme (搜索)搜索该词条 (MLW), and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine查看公司主页 (LSHTM) argue that fragmented, disease-specific programmes are failing millions of women and girls living in endemic areas, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa.

A neglected disease with far-reaching consequences

FGS is caused by infection with the parasitic worm Schistosoma haematobium (搜索)搜索该靶点, transmitted through contact with infested freshwater. Once inside the body, parasite eggs become trapped in reproductive tissues, causing chronic inflammation, lesions, and scarring. The disease affects at least 40 million women globally, yet remains largely absent from reproductive healthcare services.

The study examined how FGS interacts with other gynaecological infections and found evidence that the chronic inflammation and tissue damage caused by the disease may increase vulnerability to infections including HIV (搜索)搜索该疾病 and human papillomavirus (搜索)搜索该疾病 (HPV), the leading cause of cervical cancer (搜索)搜索该疾病.

"Female genital schistosomiasis (搜索)搜索该疾病 remains one of the most neglected gynaecological conditions affecting women and girls in Africa," said Professor Amaya Bustinduy, Professor of Global Paediatric and Adolescent Infectious Diseases at LSHTM and senior author on the paper. "Despite the scale of the problem, it is still routinely overlooked within both neglected tropical disease programmes and wider sexual and reproductive healthcare services."

Evidence from the HUGS study in Malawi

The paper draws on findings from the Hybridisation in Urogenital Schistosomiasis (HUGS) study conducted in Malawi, which identified high levels of co-infection between FGS and other genital infections. These findings strengthen the case for moving beyond siloed disease management toward integrated care models.

Professor Russell Stothard, Professor of Medical Parasitology at LSTM and co-author of the paper, stated: "This paper highlights the urgent need to move beyond isolated disease-specific approaches and towards integrated care that recognises the overlap between FGS, HIV (搜索)搜索该疾病, HPV and other reproductive health conditions."

Proposed solutions and diagnostic innovation

The researchers propose several practical approaches to improve diagnosis and care for millions of women. These include combined HPV and FGS testing from a single genital sample, improved healthcare worker training to recognise FGS, and the deployment of new molecular and AI-supported diagnostic tools that could accelerate case detection in resource-limited settings.

Zoonotic and hybrid species raise new concerns

The study also highlights the emerging role of zoonotic and hybrid schistosome species—parasites usually associated with livestock—which have now been detected in genital samples from women with FGS. These findings raise important questions about the accuracy of current diagnostic methods, treatment effectiveness, and long-term disease control strategies.

"The emergence of zoonotic and hybrid schistosome species also reinforces the importance of One Health approaches that consider human, animal and environmental health together," Professor Stothard added.

The authors warn that without urgent action to integrate FGS into broader reproductive health frameworks, the disease will continue to fuel vulnerability to HIV (搜索)搜索该疾病 and cervical cancer (搜索)搜索该疾病 across endemic regions, jeopardising progress toward global health targets.