Women’s health

Improving women’s health is one of the key components for their development and empowerment, as stated in multiple sustainable development goals such as in the goals 5 and 3 and their aligned targets. Several diseases severely affecting women are found with a high burden in Madagascar.

Female Genital Schistosomiasis (FGS) is a common chronic evolution of schistosomiasis, one of the most common Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), caused by the presence of S. haematobium eggs in genital tissue, potentially leading to ectopic pregnancies, infertility, cervical lesions and social stigma. The Fusco group is studying strategies to improve the management of this disease in Madagascar, in Europe and the determinants associated with it. Furthermore, we are also studying the role of integrated management of high-burden diseases, such as FGS, human papilloma virus (HPV)-and cervical cancer.

Learn more about FGS:

https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241509299

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7774576/

Hotez et.al. 2019

Eine Schwester während einer Colonuntersuchung in einem Gesundheitszentrum — Midwife during colposcopy in a primary health care centre @BNITM (Jean-Marc Kutz, 2025)

Projects included in this topic:

Towards Harmonised Definitions of Characteristics and Clinical Outcomes Regarding Female Genital Schistosomiasis: The Delphi-FGS Consensus Study - DELPHI-FGS

Partners:
Global Schistosomiasis Alliance (GSA)

Funding:
BNITM

Duration:
October 2025- October 2026

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Shedding light on onset and progression determinants of Female Genital Schistosomiasis: a comparative study between Zanzibar and Madagascar – FESZAM

Partners:
Ivo de Carneri Foundation, Milan, Italy
Public Health Laboratory Ivo de Carneri, Chacke Chake, Pemba Zanzibar

Funding:
Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung [Startseite | Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung (ekfs.de)]

Duration:
February 2025 – February 2026

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(W)Initiative for womeN and GirlS affected by Female Genital Schistosomiasis - Wings 4 FGS

Partners:
London school of hygiene and tropical medicine, United Kingdom
University of health and allied sciences, Ghana
european research and project office gmbh - Eurice
Institut national de recherche biomédicale, Democratic Republic Of CongoMalawi liverpool wellcome research programme, MalawiCentre suisse de recherches scientifiques en côte d'ivoire African pharmaceutical technology foundation, RwandaSchweizerisches Tropen und Public Health Institute, SuisseDrugs for neglected diseases initiative, SuisseAssociation pour la promotion de la santé de l'intelligence, Madagascar

Funding:
European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP 3)

Duration:
June 2025 – June 2029

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Controlling cervical cancer through the implementation of HPV vaccination in Madagascar: providing evidence for implementation strategies – CHIMPS

Partners:
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Tambohobe, Centre d’Infectiologie Charles Merieux (CICM)
CHU PZAGA

@BNITM Valentina Marchese

Funding:
Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung

Duration:
June 2023 – June 2027

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Multi-country Assessment of Prevalence for FGS - MAP-FGS

Partners:
Centre d’Infectiologie Charles Merieux (CICM) [A propos du CICM – Centre d'infectiologie Charles MerieuxCICM Madagascar (cicm-madagascar.org)], Association pour la Promotion de la Santé, de l’Intelligence Artificielle et du Numérque (APSIAN)

Funding:
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation through the Coalition for Operational Research for Neglected Tropical Diseases (COR-NTD) [COR-NTD |],

Duration:
October 2025 – September 2025

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Female Genital Schistosomiasis in rural Madagascar: improving community understanding and promoting integration into primary health care services – FIRM-UP

Partners:
University of Fianarantsoa
University of Antananarivo
Centre d’Infectiologie Charles Merieux (CICM)
University of Mahajanga
University of Düsseldorf
Klinikum Esslingen
IS-Global Barcelona

@BNITM Dewi Ismajani Puradiredja – Eva Lorenz

Funding:
Coalition for Operational Research on NTDs (CORNTD), Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung, Deutsches Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (DZIF)

Duration:
April 2020 – July 2024

Past projects:

Assessing awareness, knowledge and practices of Female Genital Schistosomiasis in multisectoral health care professionals in Europe: a cross-sectional survey – AFES

Funding:
BNITM [Bernhard-Nocht-Institut für Tropenmedizin (bnitm.de)]

Duration:
June 2023 – June 2024