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Decades of prevention work undertaken by local communities, governments, and national and international organizations have contributed to a reduction in the prevalence of FGM in some settings. Despite these successes, the overall rate of decline has been slow. It is therefore a global imperative to strengthen efforts towards ending this practice.

This policy document, signed by numerous United Nations agencies, advocates the abandonment of FGM, highlighting the human rights, legal and health dimensions of this problem. Drawing from lessons learnt and country experiences in interventions, it highlights the strategic approaches needed to work across sectors towards ending FGM while maintaining high-quality care for survivors.

FGM has no health benefits and is a violation of the human rights of girls and women. As such, the medicalization of FGM (when FGM is performed by a health-care provider) is never acceptable. Health-care providers who carry out FGM are violating medical ethics, human rights and national laws in most settings. Their involvement may also legitimize or condone the continuation of the practice. Despite this, the medicalization of FGM is on the rise in some countries, creating new challenges against ending this harmful practice.

The strategy in this document, using a health system strengthening approach, outlines the activities countries can follow in health sector planning to address FGM medicalization and the aspects of treatment and care for women and girls affected.

FGM causes direct financial costs in the treatment and care of the women and girls affected. The health and financial burdens of FGM thus pose barriers for social and economic development in high-prevalence countries.

This FGM cost calculator estimates the actual and projected financial costs to the health sector of treating the health complications of FGM under different scenarios of abandonment.

The health sector can contribute actively in national FGM abandonment efforts and in improving the quality of life of survivors of FGM. Health sector plans that address FGM and its medicalization should be informed by a theory of change and implemented using a systematic health system strengthening approach that aims to improve the quality of prevention and care services. This template guides health-care planners and policy-makers in translating existing WHO guidance and health sector strategies into five-year costed health sector plans with clear outputs, outcomes and goals. The plans are built around four pillars: (i) to strengthen the governance/financing of FGM-related activities, (ii) to build the knowledge and skills of the health workforce on FGM prevention and the management of its complications, (iii) to implement accountability and regulatory measures to ensure quality FGM services and to prevent FGM medicalization, and (iv) to ensure the monitoring and evaluation of FGM interventions within the health sector.