Chioma Obinna
23 December 2008
Lagos — Irked by the growing number of infertility in the country and the fact that about 25 percent of couples in then developing countries are infertile, medical experts have called for more focus on prevention of infertility than cure.
The experts who gathered at the annual conference of the Association of Resident Doctors of Lagos University Teaching Hospital chapter, (LUTH-ARD) noted that more focus on prevention would go a long way in increasing access to fertility treatment in the country.
Prof. Osato Giwa-Osagie of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, College of Medicine LUTH and Advanced Fertility Centre Lagos, in his paper entitled, "Art in West Africa & Nigeria: Its evolution and challenges", noted that childbearing has a pivotal place in survival and flourishing of marriage and lineage.
Giwa-Osagie also lamented that infertility leads to social stigma, unhappiness, marital and sexual problems, medical expenditure, separation and divorce, loss of inheritance and polygamy amongst others.
According to him, "Infertility is a major social and medical problem and secondary more common than Primary Infertility, he said Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) techniques is aimed to increase the chances of treated couples to achieve pregnancy and that ART is applied to male and female causes of infertility.
While x-raying the various cases against ART in developing countries like Nigeria, he listed various cases of ill health to include, malaria, diarrhoea, HIV, cancer, respiratory diseases.
On complications he pointed out that ART is complicated and expensive- at least 1000-2000USD per cycle. "Unfortunately, it is still not affordable to many Nigerians to low GDP and official minimum wage is $80 per month."
Other factors militating against access to ART, he said include; serious infrastructural and quality control issues and regulation which is virtually non-existent.
On the number of centres in the country, he disclosed that Nigeria with population of 140 million people has only 12 ART clinics which are all privates, two public sector.
He further disclosed that a total of 1,800 babies have been born in Nigeria through ART and available statistics shows that estimate of 3000 cycles per annum in Nigeria, 40 to 75 percent of cycles are ICSI in those who offer ICSI.
He, however, noted that there are a lot of challenges regarding ART which include; quality assurance, results variable between/ within, cost of procedure, lack of regulation, IVF in HIV clients.
On the way further, he stressed the need for practitioners to choose equipment that suits your needs, even if you start as a clone of an existing unit, units buying incubators too large for work, adding that smaller, cheaper, efficient incubators are available for as little as 6000 dollars and that potable versions can be used at outreach IVF units.
In his speech, President of LUTH- ARD, Dr. Oyedeji Olufemi Abiola, said the choice of the theme was due to the increasing attention given to cases of infertility in the Nigerian environment and the solutions being proffered by assisted conception techniques with special emphasis on local environment. He noted the importance of investing in preventive healthcare than spending money later to treat.
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