Turning policy into care that women and girls can count on.
| Location: | Liberia |
| Timeline: | November 2025 to September 2027 |
| Partners: | Ministry of Health, Liberia and Unlimit Health |
Background
Female genital schistosomiasis (FGS) is a neglected but devastating disease that is projected to affect thousands of women and girls in Liberia. It is associated with chronic pain, infertility, pregnancy complications, increased Human Immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and human papilloma virus (HPV) transmission risk, and frequent misdiagnosis as a sexually transmitted infection or cervical cancer.
In 2025, the Liberian Ministry of Health, with technical and financial support from Effect Hope and Unlimit Health, began the development of the world’s first national multisectoral strategy for FGS. Together, we are now translating this policy into reality, making Liberia a global leader in addressing the gap in access to FGS services.
Challenge
FGS is a preventable and manageable condition currently affecting thousands of women and girls in Liberia but remains largely invisible within the health system. Limited integration across key health system functions—policy, human resources, supply chain, data, financing—hinders equitable access and undermines progress toward NTD elimination and health system integration.
Solution:
This project takes a bold, system-wide approach to help Liberia fully integrate FGS into its national health system. Building on the country’s leadership in creating the world’s first multisectoral Urogenital Schistosomiasis (UGS) strategy, the initiative focuses on making FGS visible, prioritized, and sustainably supported through strong policy action and coordinated efforts across the Ministry of Health.
Because FGS affects far more than one health area, true progress requires multiple departments working together. This project supports that integration by ensuring FGS is reflected in guidelines, workplans, data systems, supply chains, training, performance measures, and essential service packages, so women and girls can access comprehensive, appropriate care regardless of where they are located.
Outcomes:
- Greater community awareness and reduced stigma
- Health workers are equipped with better diagnostic tools and knowledge, leading to improved health outcomes
- Improved data to track progress and guide decision-making at all levels of the health system
- A proof-of-concept package developed to drive wider integration as well as knowledge translation for replication in other endemic countries
Why It Matters
FGS is estimated by the World Health Organization to affect as many as 56 million women and girls, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa. Integrating FGS into the health system in Liberia offers a powerful opportunity to directly impact the lives of thousands of women and girls across the country, while providing a framework for replication in other endemic countries. This is more than a health intervention—it is a movement to restore dignity, equity, and visibility to women and girls who have long been neglected by health systems.
