Schistosomiasis
Developing better treatments to eliminate a devastating water-borne disease
Schistosomiasis
Developing better treatments to eliminate a devastating water-borne disease
We are leveraging our partnerships and experience in drug discovery and development to identify and develop safe, effective, field-adapted treatments to end the suffering and help eliminate schistosomiasis as a public health problem.
Also known as bilharzia or snail fever, schistosomiasis is a water-borne, parasitic disease caused by tiny blood-dwelling worms. People can become infected with schistosomiasis when they come into contact with contaminated water. For children, chronic infection can result in learning difficulties and stunted growth. For women and girls, female genital schistosomiasis (FGS) can be extremely painful and stigmatizing: often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, it can cause prolonged suffering and long-term gynaecological and reproductive harm.
Even when correctly diagnosed, FGS is very difficult to treat because the only current drug available – praziquantel – does not eliminate the parasite or alleviate painful symptoms. Used in mass drug administration campaigns to reduce transmission, praziquantel kills adult worms but is less effective against juvenile worms, and early signs of drug resistance are emerging. New treatments that can meet the challenge of resistance and kill both adult and juvenile worms are needed to achieve elimination of the disease – and these treatments need to be affordable, accessible, and safe for all people who need them.
What we are doing for people with schistosomiasis
We aim to identify a combination treatment of existing drugs to better treat the painful symptoms of female genital schistosomiasis. We are also working to develop and register at least one new safe, affordable, and field-adapted drug that can kill both adult and juvenile worms in all affected people.
Schistosomiasis news & resources
Making medical history for neglected patients
We develop urgently needed treatments for neglected patients and ensure they’re affordable, available, and adapted to the communities who need them
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