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 deliver safe, effective, field-adapted treatments to end suffering from schistosomiasis and help eliminate the disease 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, and affects millions of women and girls.
Even when correctly diagnosed, FGS is very difficult to treat because the only drug currently 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 are working to identify a combination treatment using existing drugs to better treat female genital schistosomiasis. We also aim to develop at least one all-new safe, affordable, field-adapted treatment effective against both adult and juvenile worms in all common forms of schistosomiasis.
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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