Giving Compass' Take:

• Female genital schistosomiasis, also known as snail fever, is a neglected tropical disease that has infected almost 56 million women across sub-Saharan Africa, as Global Citizen reports. 

• How can this medical issue be addressed through aid and humanitarian healthcare outreach? What are some ways to prevent the infection of female genital schistosomiasis?

• Read more about neglected tropical diseases and how the private sector is helping with research and development. 

The cause of the most common gynecological problem in sub-Saharan Africa isn’t hormones, puberty, or menopause — it’s parasitic worms.

Female genital schistosomiasis (FGS) is a variation of schistosomiasis, also known as snail fever or bilharzia — a neglected tropical disease (NTD) that stems from parasitic worms. They make their way into the human body through skin that has been in contact with infected freshwater.

It is estimated that nearly 56 million women in sub-Saharan Africa suffer from FGS, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), making it possibly the most common gynecological condition in schistosomiasis-endemic areas.

The damaging effects range from genital itching and painful sex to infertility and even increased risk of HIV — and yet, it’s a condition that’s completely preventable.

Children are often at risk from swimming or treading barefoot in infected water, but women are also at high risk from doing domestic chores, such as laundry, in infested rivers, lakes, and lagoons.

Read the full article about parasitic worms endangering women in Africa by Diana Duong at Global Citizen.