Pia Rausche

• MSc. Health Sciences
• PhD Candidate at Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine

Background Schistosoma haematobium and S. mansoni are endemic in Madagascar, but reliable diagnostic tools are often lacking, contributing to exacerbate transmission and morbidity. This study evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of three tests for schistosome infection in Malagasy adults from areas of medium to high endemicity. Methods This cross-sec...

Background Adequate knowledge and awareness regarding diseases are essential for appropriate, high-quality healthcare. Female Genital Schistosomiasis (FGS) is a non-sexually transmitted gynaecological disease that is caused by the presence of Schistosoma haematobium eggs in the female genital tract and the resulting immune response that causes tiss...

Background Female Genital Schistosomiasis (FGS) is a gynaecological manifestation of persistent infection with Schistosoma haematobium, which can lead to severe consequences, such as miscarriage and infertility. It is estimated to affect 56 million women globally, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Most migrants in Europe are female, often from SS...

Background The WHO set the global immunisation threshold for COVID-19 at 70% to achieve worldwide protection against the disease. To date, global COVID-19 vaccine coverage is still below this threshold, in particular in several sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries, such as Madagascar. While factors influencing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy have been wi...

Background To fight neglected tropical diseases (NTD), clinical trials implemented in endemic settings are crucial. This requires high standards of Good Clinical Practice (GCP) to ensure participant safety and reliable data. Yet, the local implementation can be challenging due to limited resources, remote study sites, or inexperienced staff. This s...

Female genital schistosomiasis (FGS) is a chronic manifestation of schistosomiasis, usually caused by Schistosoma haematobium infection, which can be responsible for infertility, ectopic pregnancy, and abortion, and is associated with an increased prevalence of HIV infection. No screening programs are currently recommended for FGS. Colposcopy, the...

Introduction Female genital schistosomiasis (FGS) is a neglected disease with long-term physical and psychosocial consequences, affecting approximately 50 million women worldwide and generally representing an unmet medical need on a global scale. FGS is the chronic manifestation of a persistent infection with Schistosoma haematobium. FGS services a...

Introduction: Female genital schistosomiasis (FGS) is a neglected disease with long-term physical and psychosocial consequences, affecting approximately 50 million women worldwide and generally representing an unmet medical need on a global scale. FGS is the chronic manifestation of a persistent infection with Schistosoma haematobium. FGS services...

Background: Women's health in resource-limited settings can benefit from the integrated management of high-burden diseases, such as female genital schistosomiasis (FGS) and human papilloma virus (HPV)-related cervical cancer. In schistosomiasis-endemic countries such as Madagascar, data on FGS and HPV prevalence are lacking as well as preventive m...

Background Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection worldwide. Globally, both men and women have a 50% risk of being infected at least once in their life. HPV prevalence is among the highest in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), at an average of 24%. HPV causes different types of cancers, including cervical cancer (CC),...

Background The goal to eliminate the parasitic disease of poverty schistosomiasis as a public health problem is aligned with the 2030 United Nations agenda for sustainable development goals, including universal health coverage (UHC). Current control strategies focus on school-aged children, systematically neglecting adults. We aimed at providing ev...

Background: The goal to eliminate the parasitic disease of poverty schistosomiasis as a public health problem is aligned with the 2030 United Nations agenda for Sustainable Development Goals, including Universal Health Coverage (UHC). Current control strategies focus on school-aged children, systematically neglecting adults. We aimed at providing e...

Background Infections with S. haematobium are endemic in tropical regions and emerging in some European countries. Prolonged chronic infection with S. haematobium can cause Female Genital Schistosomiasis (FGS), which can lead to serious gynecological conditions, including infertility. However, awareness of FGS is limited, as are adequate guidelines...

Background Schistosomiasis is a disease of poverty, prevalent in tropical regions and emerging in Europe. Mass drug administration (MDA) is a common strategy to fight the disease. Pre-school aged children (PSAC) are conventionally considered not to be at high risk of infection and thus usually excluded from MDA. However, chronic infections at young...