Geneva: World Health Organisation (WHO) has made a compelling appeal for urgent action to address the increasing trend of medicalised Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and to engage health workers in efforts to prevent this practice. The call was made in a new guideline released on April 25.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, while the health sector is crucial in both halting FGM and supporting survivors globally, there is troubling evidence that the practice is increasingly being carried out by health professionals. WHO reported that in 2020, around 52 million girls and women underwent FGM performed by health workers. The organisation’s new guideline, titled “The Prevention of Female Genital Mutilation and Clinical Management of Complications,” aims to provide strategies to prevent the practice and ensure evidence-based care for survivors. These recommendations target the health sector, governments, and affected communities.
Dr Pascale Allotey, WHO’s Director for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research, emphasized that FGM is a severe violation of girls’ rights and poses significant health risks. Allotey urged that the health sector should act as a catalyst for change rather than contribute to the harmful practice. She stressed the necessity for health practitioners to provide high-quality medical care to those suffering from FGM’s consequences. Typically performed on young girls before puberty, FGM involves procedures that remove or injure parts of the female genitalia for non-medical reasons, and evidence indicates it is harmful regardless of who performs it.
Evidence suggests that when performed by health workers, FGM can be even more dangerous, as it may result in deeper, more severe cuts. The medicalisation of FGM risks inadvertently legitimising the practice and may undermine broader efforts to eradicate it. Consequently, WHO’s new guideline recommends professional codes of conduct that explicitly prohibit health workers from performing FGM.
Ms Christina Pallitto, a Scientist at WHO, highlighted that health workers can serve as influential opinion leaders in changing attitudes towards FGM and play a critical role in its prevention. Engaging doctors, nurses, and midwives is essential in FGM prevention and response, as countries strive to eliminate the practice and protect women’s and girls’ health. The guidelines also underscore the importance of community education and information, as well as effective laws and policies. Community awareness activities involving men and boys can be instrumental in increasing knowledge about FGM, promoting girls’ rights, and supporting attitudinal change.
Pallitto noted that due to the wide range of short and long-term health issues resulting from FGM, survivors may require various health services throughout their lives, from mental healthcare to managing obstetric risks and, when necessary, surgical repairs. Evidence shows that with the right commitment and support, FGM can be eradicated. Countries like Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, and Ethiopia have achieved significant reductions in prevalence among 15 to 19-year-olds over the past 30 years through collective action and political commitment to enforce bans and accelerate prevention efforts. However, FGM remains prevalent in approximately 30 countries, with an estimated four million girls at risk each year, despite the likelihood of a girl undergoing genital mutilation having decreased threefold since 1990.