BSP Autumn Symposium 2024

The British Society for Parasitology Autumn Symposium 2024: "Highlighting female and male genital schistosomiasis in Africa"

Lead organisers: Dr Sekeleghe Kayuni (MLW, Malawi) & Dr Bonnie Webster (NHM, UK)

Co-organisers: Prof Russell Stothard (LSTM, UK), Prof Janelisa Musaya (MLW, Malawi), Prof Amaya Bustinduy (LSHTM, UK), Dr James LaCourse (LSTM, UK) & Mr John Archer (LSTM, UK). 

Schistosomiasis is a waterborne parasitic disease which afflicts millions of adults and children in Africa. This is a globally important disease brings together trematode blood flukes and snails that have a complex lifecycle and water borne epidemiology. 

A newly recognised facet of the schistosomiasis is extensive genital tract damage, particularly in women. Indeed, female genital schistosomiasis (FGS) blights the lives of up to 60 million African women. Moreover, FGS is an epidemiological driver for other concurrent viral, bacterial and protist infections. At the same time, disease in men, male genital schistosomiasis (MGS) is also significantly overlooked. 

The Autumn Symposium of the BSP will bring together clinicians and biologists interested in discussing knowledge gaps concerning the natural history of the disease, its diagnostic challenges as well as clinical management. The meeting will also encourage a diversity of speakers and early career researchers who shall give invited/open oral presentations and interact further during the open poster sessions.

Possible invited speakers: Jennifer Downs (USA), Dingase Kumwenda (Malawi), David Rollinson (UK). 

For more information please email: info [at] bsp [dot] uk [dot] net