ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Trop. Dis.
Sec. Neglected Tropical Diseases
Volume 6 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fitd.2025.1566451
Tailoring Interventions for Impact: Implementing Evidence-based Strategies for Female Genital Schistosomiasis Knowledge Gaps in selected districts in Ghana
Provisionally accepted
- 1College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
- 2Ghana Health Service, Accra, Ghana
- 3Cancer and Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Research Unit (CIDERU), University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
- 4Institute of Health Research, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana
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Background: Addressing the knowledge gaps for Female Genital Schistosomiasis (FGS) among healthcare professionals and community members in endemic areas to improve early detection and management is crucial. In Ghana, limited knowledge, entrenched socio-cultural beliefs, and inadequate healthcare resources hinder effective FGS management. This study utilized a systematic Implementation Mapping (IM) approach to design targeted health promotion interventions in Ghana's Lower Manya-Krobo and Shai Osudoku Municipalities.The five IM steps 1) Conducting needs assessment and identifying implementation adopters, 2) Developing program objectives and outlining the desired outcome and performance objectives, 3) Selecting theoretical methods and designing implementation strategies, 4) Developing implementation materials, and tools, and protocols, and 5) Evaluate implementation outcome. During the needs assessment, surveys and focused group discussions with 856 women and 252 healthcare workers and discussions with community members highlighted widespread misinformation and gaps in knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to FGS. Stakeholders' engagement then guided the mapping of context-specific interventions and development of program objectives. Intervention materials, including FGS posters, jingles in four languages, screening tools, and reporting forms, were created and distributed through accessible local channels. Training sessions were also conducted to build healthcare workers' diagnostic and management capacities.The study revealed that IM grounded in needs assessment and stakeholder involvement, facilitated the creation of tailored, evidence-based strategies. These strategies reached the intended population and improved awareness and attitudes among healthcare workers and community members. The findings emphasized the need for adaptive intervention that accounts for varying healthcare settings and community contexts to effectively address FGS knowledge gaps. It also revealed provision of adequate system support and needed logistics enhances FGS case diagnosis and management.The intervention in Lower Manya-Krobo Municipal enhanced public health outcomes by improving community awareness, case detection, and management of FGS, demonstrating its potential for broader application in endemic regions. The study highlighted the need for tailored approaches to address varying healthcare dynamics and resource constraints. Continued monitoring and evaluation are crucial to ensure the long-term sustainability and effectiveness of such intervention, offering valuable insights for policymakers, clinicians, and public health practitioners.
Keywords: female genital schistosomiasis, implementation mapping, Ghana, knowledge, attitudes, Practices
Received: 28 Jan 2025; Accepted: 22 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Tetteh, Ginindza, Ncayiyana and Manyeh. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Comfort Dede Tetteh, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
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