WINGS4FGS

Female Genital Schistosomiasis (FGS) cannot be addressed by research alone. Real change happens when researchers, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and communities come together to turn knowledge into action. That is why we are proud to see Dr Sekeleghe Kayuni and Dr Dingase Kumwenda from our partner Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS) contributing to two important stakeholder meetings in Malawi. 📍 The FGS Dissemination Meeting, organised by the Ministry Of Health Malawi and the World Health Organization 📍 The Mangochi District Research Committee Meeting They presented on Female Genital Schistosomiasis and introduced the goals and vision of the WINGS-4-FGS project. Every presentation, every conversation, and every new partnership brings us one step closer to a future where women living with FGS are seen, heard, and supported. Together, we are building the connections needed to turn research into lasting impact. 🔗 Learn more about WINGS-4-FGS and follow our journey: www.wings4fgs.eu #WINGS4FGS #FGS #FemaleGenitalSchistosomiasis #GlobalHealth #WomensHealth #PublicHealth #HealthResearch #Malawi #Collaboration #ResearchImpact #NeglectedTropicalDiseases

🌍🩸 Menstrual Hygiene Day is about more than periods. It's also about breaking the silence around women’s health. For millions of women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa living with Female Genital Schistosomiasis (FGS), symptoms are too often misunderstood or ignored. Pain, bleeding, infertility, and other complications are frequently mistaken for sexually transmitted infections, leading to stigma, discrimination, and delayed care. FGS affects up to 50 million women and girls, with 150 million more at risk. Yet despite its impact, it remains largely absent from medical curricula, health guidelines, and global conversations on women’s health. This silence has consequences. At WINGS-4-FGS, we believe that ending stigma starts with visibility, research, and open conversation. 💜Today on Menstrual Hygiene Day, we stand with women and girls everywhere to raise awareness and support open conversations about health and dignity. 👉 Learn more about our work: www.wings4fgs.eu #MenstrualHygieneDay #FGS #WomensHealth #GlobalHealth #EndTheStigma #Schistosomiasis #HealthEquity #WINGS4FGS

Advancing research and collaboration to tackle Female Genital Schistosomiasis in Malawi. Professor Amaya L. Bustinduy and Dr Bilal Djeghout from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine recently visited the Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Research Programme as part of ongoing efforts within the WINGS-4-FGS project. During the visit, the team engaged with consortium partners and worked closely with clinical, laboratory, and field teams to strengthen collaboration and align research priorities. A key highlight was hands on training delivered by Bilal Djeghout on a field friendly, community based molecular diagnostic approach for FGS, supporting more accessible and accurate detection in endemic settings. Strengthening local capacity and collaboration is essential to improve detection, care, and outcomes for women and girls affected by FGS. Learn more about the project: https://www.wings4fgs.eu #WINGS4FGS #FGS #GlobalHealth #WomensHealth #PublicHealth #ResearchCollaboration

BREAKING THE SILENCE: Advancing care for women affected by Female Genital Schistosomiasis in Ghana. 🌍✨ Female Genital Schistosomiasis remains one of the most overlooked public health challenges affecting women and girls across the Volta Basin. Often underdiagnosed and poorly understood, it continues to impact quality of life while remaining largely unnoticed within routine healthcare systems. On 1 April 2026, a team from the University of Health and Allied Sciences under the EU funded WINGS-4-FGS project conducted a stakeholder engagement visit to the Asuogyaman District. The aim was to strengthen collaboration with local health authorities and align project activities with district priorities. 🤝 The project introduces a woman centred diagnostic approach, including self sampling, to address stigma and improve access to care. It also focuses on awareness raising, capacity building for healthcare providers, and integrating FGS management into sexual and reproductive health services. With prevalence levels exceeding 90 percent in some communities, the need for action is clear. Through close collaboration with district stakeholders and communities, WINGS-4-FGS is working to improve early detection, reduce stigma, and strengthen care for women and girls affected by FGS. #WINGS4FGS #FGS #WomensHealth #GlobalHealth #EDCTP3

New publication spotlight 📢🔬 Advancing the diagnosis of Female Genital Schistosomiasis (FGS) remains a critical challenge and a key area where innovation can drive real impact. A new article led by Morgan Lemin with WINGS-4-FGS project coordinator Amaya L. Bustinduy as second author, both from London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, U. of London, explores the potential of visual diagnostics and computer vision to improve how FGS is identified and understood. 🔗 tinyurl.com/w4xp9kpn The paper highlights an important opportunity: combining clinical expertise with emerging technologies to strengthen diagnostic accuracy and support earlier, more reliable detection 🩺💡 While this research is independent of WINGS-4-FGS, it reflects the broader expertise and commitment of our partners to tackling FGS. From improving diagnosis to advancing care for affected women and girls 🌍 It is through this kind of complementary work that progress in FGS becomes possible: connecting research, innovation, and real-world application 🤝 📖 Take a closer look at how digital tools could shape the future of FGS diagnosis. #FGS #GlobalHealth #NTDs #Schistosomiasis #DigitalHealth #AIinHealth #ResearchImpact #WINGS4FGS

"When we invest in women, in their knowledge, their health, and their leadership, we create pathways not only for individual progress, but for collective advancement. When women thrive, we all rise." 🌍✨ We are proud to see our scientific lead, Margaret Gyapong from University of Health and Allied Sciences, contribute to this important conversation at the International Women’s Day commemoration organised by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA). Her reflections on “Give to Gain: The role of giving in fostering gender equality leading to collective advancement” highlight a principle that resonates across global health: sustainable change is built through shared commitment, collaboration, and empowering those at the heart of communities 🤝 While this event is independent of WINGS-4-FGS, it reflects the broader momentum needed to transform women’s health including addressing conditions like Female Genital Schistosomiasis that continue to impact women and girls across Africa. 📣 Conversations like these matter. They shape the systems, priorities, and partnerships that enable lasting change. #GenderEquality #WomenInHealth #GlobalHealth #FGS #WINGS4FGS #EDCTP3

Behind every breakthrough in research, there are often “quiet champions” making it possible 👥✨ In this recent blog, WINGS-4-FGS Project Coordinator Amaya L. Bustinduy from London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, U. of London highlights three papers from the Special Issue “Parasites of the genital tract: short- and long-term consequences”, shining a light on the local researchers, healthcare workers, and community leaders driving progress in genital schistosomiasis research across Africa 🌍🔬 🔗 tinyurl.com/595m26t3 What stands out is the essential role of collaboration across disciplines, countries, and communities to address a disease that remains under-recognised despite its profound impact on women and girls 🤝 This perspective resonates strongly with the mission of WINGS-4-FGS: making Female Genital Schistosomiasis visible and ensuring research translates into better diagnosis, care, and real-world impact 💬🩺 📣 Take a moment to read and reflect on the people behind the science. #FGS #GlobalHealth #NTDs #Schistosomiasis #EDCTP3 #ResearchImpact #GlobalCollaboration #WINGS4FGS

🔬🌍 International Day of Women and Girls in Science Science thrives when everyone has a seat at the table. On this International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we are spotlighting what inclusiveness looks like in practice. Not as a buzzword, but as a daily commitment within research teams. Researcher Nana Rose Diakité-NGoran from our partner Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny shares what her team does to ensure inclusiveness and that everyone has a seat at the table: “Encouraging and involving young students and researchers in research activities helps foster a collaborative environment and recognizes the contributions of all team members.” In her team, inclusiveness is actively built through simple but powerful actions. When everyone is supported, included, and empowered in science, research becomes stronger, more relevant, and more impactful for everyone. 📸 Swipe through the carousel to meet her team and see how inclusiveness comes to life. Let’s keep building research environments where collaboration leads the way. At WINGS-4-FGS we are grateful to our team who celebrates collaboration and inclusivity inside the labs and outside in the field working with communities and stakeholders: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, U. of London I University of Health and Allied Sciences I Research Group Implementation Research I Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine I EURICE – European Research and Project Office GmbH I Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny I Kamuzu University of Health Sciences I Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute I Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) Learn more about our journey: www.wings4fgs.eu   #WomenInScience #WomenAndGirlsInScience #InclusiveResearch #STEMEquity #TeamScience #WINGS4FGS