adminMunyaradzi Musiiwa Midlands Correspondent
OVER 40 percent of rural women in Zimbabwe are infected by female genital schistosomiasis, a new form of bilharzia affecting women only, according to statistics from a community-based report on the effect of genital schistosoma-haenatobium infection on female fertility.
The research was conducted by Professor Eyrun Kjetland, Honorary Senior Lecturer at University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban South Africa.
Female genital schistosomiasis is a form of bilharzia that affects female genitals. According to the research it has been associated with cancer in women, infertility and ectopic pregnancies.
It has also been associated with increased risk of acquiring HIV in women and is usually confused with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) due to similarity of symptoms.
Zimbabwe is incapacitated to deal with female genital bilharzia and most doctors, nurses and other health practitioners in the country were failing to recognise and diagnose the disease due to lack of knowledge and limited resources.
According to the research, the disease was discovered in the 1980s and Zimbabwe was still to conduct awareness campaigns and conscientisation of health practitioners.
World Health Organisation (WHO), African doctors and world leading researchers had a conference on Pocket Atlas Workshop for Female Genital Bilharzia last month at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban to compile a booklet that will assist medical practitioners to recognise and diagnose the disease.
The booklet titled The Pocket Atlas was released last month.
Government Consultant Obstetrician and Gynecologist Dr Velda Mushangwe, based at Gweru Provincial Hospital, was part of the doctors drawn from five southern Africa countries to map the way forward in increasing awareness on female genital bilharzia.
During the conference Prof Kjetland said the disease was difficult to recognise and had serious side effects on women.
She said most medical practitioners were not aware of the damage associated with the disease.
“Doctors know bilharzia, but very few know the damage it can do to female genitals. The early stages are difficult to see with the naked eye, especially before training. During gynaecological exams on women with bilharzia, it’s often misconceived as cancer or an STI. Even among the health workers who’re able to do the microscopic examination of the genitalia (colposcopy), few are able to recognise the disease”, said Prof Kjetland.
Dr Mushangwe said there was need for increased awareness on the existence of the disease as well as recognising and diagnosing it.
She said the disease was one of the neglected tropical diseases and was highly prevalent in Africa.
“If adequate resources are made available we would be able to deal with the disease. The process of diagnosing cervical cancer is the same way of testing for female genital schistosomiasis. Other countries — South Africa, Zambia, Mozambique and Madagascar have already started their awareness campaigns and have also started dealing with the disease,” said Dr Mushangwe.
Female genital bilharzia is caused by microscopic bilharzia parasites that live in fresh water and can penetrate the skin upon contact.
No pain is felt and the patients are unaware of this.
Swimming or doing laundry in infested rivers, lakes and lagoons pose a high risk.
The parasites can stay in the body for over 30 years and cause great damage.
Research shows that bilharzia affects both genders and all ages. Children are particularly susceptible to it.
The disease is affecting millions of individuals living in endemic areas.
Online Reporter