The World Health Organisation (WHO) has called for urgent global action to end the growing trend of “medicalised” Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), where health workers themselves perform the harmful practice.
In a statement released Monday, WHO said that while the health sector should be leading efforts to prevent FGM and support survivors, alarming evidence shows a rise in cases being carried out by doctors, nurses, and other health professionals.
In 2020 alone, an estimated 52 million girls and women were subjected to FGM by health workers.
The new guideline, titled “The Prevention of Female Genital Mutilation and Clinical Management of Complications,” published on 25 April 2025, outlines strategies to prevent FGM and provide quality care for survivors. It targets actions for health sectors, governments, and affected communities.
Pascale Allotey, WHO’s Director for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research, stressed that FGM is a severe violation of human rights that endangers the health of girls and women.
“Health practitioners must be agents of change, not perpetrators. They must also provide high-quality care for survivors,” Allotey said.
FGM, typically carried out on young girls before puberty, includes procedures that intentionally injure or remove parts of the female genitalia for non-medical reasons.
WHO warns that even when performed by health workers, FGM remains dangerous — and in some cases, the medicalisation can lead to deeper and more severe injuries. Furthermore, it risks legitimising the harmful practice.
The guideline explicitly recommends that professional codes of conduct prohibit health workers from performing FGM.
Christina Pallitto, a WHO scientist, noted that health professionals have powerful influence in changing societal attitudes toward FGM.
“Doctors, nurses, and midwives must be part of the solution. Engaging them is crucial to ending FGM and protecting the health of women and girls,” she said.
The WHO also emphasized the need for community-based education campaigns involving men and boys to promote girls’ rights and shift cultural attitudes.
Pallitto added that survivors of FGM require comprehensive healthcare throughout their lives, including mental health support, obstetric risk management, and sometimes surgical repairs.
Despite challenges, WHO says there is evidence that FGM can be eradicated.
Countries like Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, and Ethiopia have seen dramatic drops in FGM prevalence among teenage girls over the last three decades — up to 50% in some cases — through collective action, strong political will, and strict enforcement of bans.
Since 1990, the risk of a girl undergoing FGM has dropped by threefold globally, but the practice remains common in about 30 countries. WHO warns that around four million girls are still at risk each year.
