Inaugural Meeting Report of the Regional Technical Advisory Group on Urogenital Schistosomiasis (TAG-UGS): From Fragmentation to Integrated Health System Response
Brazzaville (Congo) - In February 2026, WHO/AFRO convened the first in-person meeting of the Regional Technical Advisory Group on Urogenital Schistosomiasis (TAG-UGS) in Brazzaville, marking a pivotal shift in how urogenital schistosomiasis (UGS)—including female and male genital schistosomiasis (FGS/MGS)—is addressed across the African Region.
Despite decades of progress through preventive chemotherapy, UGS remains one of the most under-recognized and underdiagnosed conditions affecting millions of women, girls, and men. Female genital schistosomiasis alone is estimated to affect over 56 million women and girls, often misdiagnosed as sexually transmitted infections, and linked to infertility, stigma, increased HIV vulnerability, and cervical cancer risk.
The meeting brought together multidisciplinary experts across sexual and reproductive health (SRHR), HIV, cervical cancer, mental health, and health systems to redefine the response to UGS. A strong consensus emerged: UGS must move beyond vertical NTD programmes and be fully integrated into routine health services across all platforms where women of reproductive age, adolescent girls, and men access care.
From Fragmentation to Integration
TAG-UGS emphasized that integration is not optional—it is essential. Rather than creating new standalone programmes, countries are encouraged to embed UGS services within existing platforms, including:
- SRHR and maternal health services
- HIV and STI programmes for both men and women
- Cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccination platforms
- Primary health care systems
This approach is expected to reduce missed diagnoses, improve access to care, and accelerate progress toward Universal Health Coverage.
Key Gaps Identified
The meeting highlighted critical system-level gaps limiting progress:
- Absence of UGS indicators in routine health information systems
- Limited awareness and clinical capacity among frontline health workers
- Inadequate access to praziquantel for adolescents and adults at facility level
- Weak coordination across health programmes
- Persistent stigma and lack of psychosocial support
Addressing these gaps is central to advancing morbidity management and improving patient outcomes.
A Practical Path Forward
To support countries, TAG-UGS proposed a pragmatic, stepwise approach to embedding UGS within health systems. Key components include:
- Integration of FGS into STI and cervical cancer screening protocols
- Workforce training and development of practical clinical job aids
- Strengthened supply chains to ensure facility-level availability of praziquantel
- Community engagement to reduce stigma and improve care-seeking
- Inclusion of UGS indicators in national health information systems
In parallel, WHO-AFRO is working with partner to advance operational tools, including regional and national UGS risk maps, a Landscape Analysis Tool, and a centralized tools repository to support harmonized implementation across countries.
Beyond Disease Control: A Systems and Equity Agenda
The meeting reinforced that urogenital schistosomiasis is not only a neglected tropical disease—but also a sexual and reproductive health, gender, and equity issue, which complicates HIV, cervical cancer and impacts mental health, social wellbeing, and economic outcomes.
Looking Ahead
WHO-AFRO will continue to refine tools and guidance through upcoming virtual and in-person TAG meetings in 2026, supporting countries to operationalize integration.
This marks the beginning of a new chapter: from invisibility to visibility, from fragmentation to integration, and from disease control to person-centered care—ensuring that women, men, and communities affected by urogenital schistosomiasis are no longer left behind.