Health
Fertility Association Seeks Collaboration, Regulation For Robust Practice
The Association for Fertility and Reproductive Health (AFRH), has called for collaboration and robust regulation for the practice of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) in Nigeria.
The President, Prof. Preye Fiebai, made the call on Thursday in Abuja, at the opening ceremony of the association’s 14th Annual International Conference.
The conference is themed “Collaboration for Assisted Reproductive Techno- logy (ART): Global Best Practices in Nigeria”.
According to Fiebai, ART in Nigeria has made a lot of progress, but collaboration is the key to accelerating the said progress.
“To elevate Nigeria’s ART sector to global standards, we must foster collaboration across multiple sectors.
“Reproductive health specialists in Nigeria must collaborate nationally and with international experts to share knowledge, skills and technological advancements.”
He said that ethical guidelines and remarkable advances have emerged from countries at the forefront of ART and that domestication of global best practices could shape the future of the field in Nigeria.
According to the president, robust frameworks for ART practices, research and regulation have been established in the said countries, including adherence to ethical standards to protect the rights and health of patients, donors and resulting offspring.
Fiebai emphasised that establishing clear and comprehensive regulatory frameworks was long overdue, stressing the need for robust legal frameworks to ensure transparent and well-defined protocols.
He said that Lagos State had set the ball rolling with the establishment of guidelines for ART practice in the state, a feat that should be replicated across the country.
He, however, said that the National Assembly had made several attempts to pass a law and all stakeholders in the sector must collaborate to make it a reality.
The president also advocated for research partnerships, Public-Private Partnerships and cultural and community engagements for traditional and religious leaders.
This, he said, was because understanding the cultural and societal nuances surrounding infertility in Nigeria was vital to building ART services that arre not only medically effective but also socially acceptable.
Describing the important role ART plays, Fiebai said that it offered a pathway to fulfilling the dreams of parenthood for many couples experiencing infertility, especially at a time when fertility rates are declining worldwide.
He added that Nigeria had witnessed a growing demand for ART services due to increasing awareness and social acceptance.
Dr Yusuf Sununu, Minister of State for Education, emphasised the necessity of collaboration, stating that the government cannot achieve its goals alone.
He highlighted the importance of sharing resources and risks to attain a common objective.
Sununu who was the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Health Care Services in the 10th National Assembly, however, said that some medical practices required an Act of Parliament for proper guidance and protection.
“We need protection, we need to be guided. Certain litigations are left at the discretion of judges because there are no enabling laws and most of the times, practitioners are the ones who suffer.
“Our elders, they have done so much in training us, we need to also sit down and develop what we can do to protect our practice, to ensure that what we are doing is within the ethics of our profession.”
He also said that because the practice of ART was expensive, resources must be put together to make progress.
“The cost of practicing medicine has skyrocketed. Equipment that was once readily affordable now threatens to deplete our clinic’s resources. Even a single purchase would significantly strain our assets.
“There is a pressing need for a dedicated funding mechanism, such as a bank or fund that provides single-digit interest loans.
“While the Bank of Industry exists, we require a specialised institution catering exclusively to healthcare practitioners.
“Currently, we’re losing billions of dollars in foreign exchange due to Nigerians seeking medical care abroad.”
Speaking about the theme of the conference, the Chairman, Local Organising Committee, Dr Sunday Onuh, said that it underscored the practitioners’ relentless pursuit of excellence and collaboration in the field of ART.
“We stand on the threshold of revolutionary breakthroughs, and gatherings like this catalyse our collective progress toward achieving these ambitious goals.
“This year’s conference aims to promote ethical standards and regulate the practice of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART), with a specific focus on third-party ART.”
The reports have it that the three-day conference which began on Wednesday will end on Friday.
NAN
Health
My Herbal Medicines Are Well Accepted Across The Globe, Prof Amodu Reveals
By David Maxwell
One of Nigeria’s leading voices in the support and propagation of herbal medicine, Professor Benjamin Amodu has revealed that his herbal medicines are widely accepted across the globe.
He made this revelation while speaking to our reporter at his laboratory in Abuja.
Amodu, known for his herbal cure for serveral communicable and non-communicable diseases like malaria, asthma, diabetes, enlarged heart, various cancers, chronic kidney disease even into the end stage, has boldly revealed that his herbal products enjoy a huge acceptance across the globe.
“Our medications are well accepted, both at home here in Nigeria and abroad too.
“This is because we’ve been sending our medicines not only to countries within the African continent, but also countries in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, America and even Oceania.
“We usually send our herbal medicines to Ghana, Cameroon, Egypt, South Africa and many other African countries, and even to Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the United Kingdom, USA, France, Australia, the Netherlands, Germany, Ireland, Canada and virtually everywhere around the world without any issues.
“We have been sending them to these places via DHL and we haven’t had any issues whatsoever.”
Amodu also spoke of the wide acceptance his his herbal medicines have been enjoying at home here in Nigeria.
He said, “even though we may not have had the support anymore expects from the government, but the Nigerian people are not waiting for the government to tell them to either accept our medications or not.
“Since many patients we have treated with our products and get cured of the ailments keep talking about and announcing for others to know, we haven’t had a short supply of patients who either come to us themselves or through family members and other caregivers.
“So if the USA, UK, Canada and all these other countries can accept our treatment, plus those at home here in Nigeria, then I can confidently say that my products are well recognized and accepted across the world.”
Having spent about four decades researching into Traditional, Complimentary and Alternative Medicine, TCAM, with scores of papers published in reputable health journals and peer reviewed, Amodu, a professor of phytomedicine from the Triune Biblical University, USA, is no doubt a leading advocate for alternative medicine.
-
Featured6 years agoLampard Names New Chelsea Manager
-
Featured5 years agoFG To Extends Lockdown In FCT, Lagos Ogun states For 7days
-
Featured6 years agoNYSC Dismisses Report Of DG’s Plan To Islamize Benue Orientation Camp
-
Featured5 years agoChildren Custody: Court Adjourns Mike Ezuruonye, Wife’s Case To April 7
-
Featured4 years agoTransfer Saga: How Mikel Obi Refused to compensate me After I Linked Him Worth $4m Deal In Kuwait SC – Okafor
-
Sports3 years ago
TINUBU LAMBAST DELE MOMODU
-
News5 months agoZulu to Super Eagles B team, President Tinubu is happy with you
-
Featured6 years ago
Board urges FG to establish one-stop rehabilitation centres in 6 geopolitical zones
