Project description
Tackling female genital schistosomiasis
Female genital schistosomiasis (FGS) represents an under-recognised public health issue, particularly in tropical regions. It is caused by the parasitic worm Schistosoma haematobium, which deposits eggs in the tissues of the female reproductive tract. This leads to chronic inflammation, pain, infertility and increased susceptibility to sexually transmitted infections. To improve care and access to treatment, the EU-funded WINGS-4-FGS project proposes to integrate FGS management into sexual and reproductive health services. The consortium will test anti-inflammatory drugs, implement self-sampling diagnostic methods and provide training to reduce associated stigma. Ultimately, these strategies will improve local healthcare capacity and contribute to more effective management and prevention of FGS.
Objective
WINGS-4-FGS addresses pressing needs for tackling Female Genital Schistosomiasis (FGS) in Africa, with the objective of improving case management and therapeutic access while integrating care into sexual and reproductive health strategies. FGS, a consequence of schistosomiasis caused by the parasite Schistosoma haematobium, affects millions of women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa, leading to significant morbidity and reproductive health issues. Current treatment barriers include limited knowledge, associated stigma, a lack of effective treatment, and inadequate diagnostic tools. WINGS-4-FGS proposes a multifaceted, holistic approach and aims to: i) investigate the efficacy of anti-inflammatory medications as add-ons to praziquantel; ii) implement training programs to increase awareness and medical care competency; iii) implement a community-based, two-step, self-sampling diagnostic strategy; iv) assess barriers and facilitators for integrating FGS into existing health services.
WINGS-4-FGS aims to generate evidence-based recommendations, enhance local capacity, and engage stakeholders and policymakers to integrate FGS care into African countries’ healthcare systems effectively. Success will lead to improved treatment guidelines and practices that will enable patients and healthcare workers to recognize, diagnose, and treat the disease before symptoms spread, as well as foster affordable local access to treatment and reduce associated stigma.
The transdisciplinary consortium brings together 11 renowned partners with expertise in tropical disease research, coming from 3 European (Germany, Switzerland and United Kingdom) and 6 African countries: Democratic Republic of Congo, Côte d’Ivoire and Malawi, where the clinical trials will be conducted, as well as Ghana, Madagascar and Rwanda.
WINGS-4-FGS will forge sustainable solutions for future generations of women and girls so they can feel empowered to manage their own reproductive health and overall well-being.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- medical and health sciences health sciences tropical medicine
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pharmacology and pharmacy pharmaceutical drugs
- medical and health sciences health sciences social medicine sexual health
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.2.1 - Health
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-JU-RIA - HORIZON JU Research and Innovation Actions
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-JU-GH-EDCTP3-2024-01-two-stage
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
WC1E 7HT London
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.