Energetic activism describes the launch of the four-year project to test a portable spectral imaging colposcope for diagnosis of schistosomiasis and cervical cancer in women, developed by QCELL-a Greek high technology company https://qcell.tech/
The day before the official opening at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, we showed up at Port Shepstone Hospital at 7 AM to make sure the medical staff there know something about Female Genital Schistosomiasis as they started their workday. Monday 30th January was the World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day, and Female Genital Schistosomiasis (FGS) is near the bottom of the list of such diseases. We delivered leaflets, displayed posters and talked to many people. Some of the posters were made by our students. The South Coast Herald newspaper heard about our activism and sent a reporter to find out more. Professor Fortunate Shabalala of the University of Eswatini told the newspaper that the disease is more common in women that than in men. She encouraged women visiting hospitals to request check for schistosomiasis. As we finished our campaign around mid-day, we left behind informed health professionals.