Reproductive Health Care Infrastructure, Workforce, and Service Delivery Gaps for the Integration of Female Genital Schistosomiasis Services: A Scoping Review

Objective: The objective of this scoping review is to map and characterise the extent, nature, and distribution of evidence on health system readiness for integrating Female Genital Schistosomiasis services within reproductive health care platforms among women and girls of reproductive age in Ghana and comparable endemic settings. Introduction: Female Genital Schistosomiasis (FGS) is a chronic manifestation of Schistosoma haematobium infection that disproportionately affects women and girls in schistosomiasis-endemic regions of sub-Saharan Africa. FGS is associated with gynaecological morbidity, infertility, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and increased susceptibility to sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. Despite these consequences, FGS remains under-diagnosed and poorly integrated into routine reproductive health services. In Ghana, reproductive health platforms such as family planning, antenatal care, STI services, and cervical cancer screening present potential entry points for FGS service integration. However, the readiness of the health system to support such integration is not well characterised. Inclusion criteria: Eligible sources will include studies involving women and girls aged 10 to 49 years, reproductive health service providers, and health system actors in schistosomiasis endemic settings. The concept of interest is the integration of Female Genital Schistosomiasis related activities, including screening, diagnosis, referral, treatment, and provider training, within reproductive health services such as antenatal care, family planning, STI services, and gynaecological care. The context includes Ghana and comparable sub-Saharan African settings, while prevalence-only studies without service delivery or health system relevance and non-human studies will be excluded. Methods: This scoping review will be conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). We will include peer-reviewed studies and grey literature published between 2000 and 2025. Eligible sources will address reproductive health services, Female Genital Schistosomiasis, and health system components relevant to service integration. Databases to be searched include PubMed, CINAHL (EBSCOhost), Embase, African Journals Online (AJOL), Global Health (CAB Direct), and Google Scholar. Two reviewers will independently screen records and chart data. Findings will be synthesised descriptively and thematically to identify system-level capacities, gaps, and opportunities for integration.