Health experts have urged the Federal Government to prioritise infertility treatment and integrate it into national health policy, saying it deserves the same attention as cancer and other diseases.
Speaking at a joint press conference in Abuja ahead of the African Federation of Fertility Societies conference, AFRH president, Prof Preye Fiebai, said infertility is a major health burden in Nigeria that is often overlooked.
“The World Health Organisation recognises infertility as an ailment just like any other disease. Every person who is so afflicted is entitled to receive the kind of care that a cancer patient receives,” Fiebai stated.
He noted that despite Nigeria’s high fertility rate, the country also has “extremely high infertility ones” that require urgent intervention.
Fiebai said cost remains the biggest barrier for patients because most drugs and equipment used for IVF are imported, while poor data reporting limits investment.
“The majority of what is utilized is imported. The drugs are imported. If we do 5,000 IVF cycles in Nigeria, and another country is doing 50,000, naturally a company would rather go to the place they are doing 50,000,” he added.
He called on government and health insurance schemes to provide support so that those who need care can access it.
The AFRH president also disclosed that Nigeria will host no fewer than 1,000 fertility professionals from Africa and around the world from September 24 in Abuja.
Fiebai added that Africa has now built enough capacity to host such meetings locally instead of traveling to Europe and the United States.
Similarly, the immediate past president of AFRH, Dr Ibrahim Wada, said government backing for fertility preservation will help reduce the long-term burden of treatment.
“On the side of a woman, age is not a helper by the time you get to 40 or thereabouts. So why not preserve your eggs? It is safe to do so and not expensive,” Wada said.
He added that egg and sperm freezing is also important for patients whose medical treatment may affect their ability to have children in future.
Chairman of the local organising committee, Dr Sunday Onuh, said hosting the conference would position Nigeria as a hub for affordable fertility care and attract patients from abroad.
He said the gathering would also strengthen collaboration among doctors, nurses, embryologists, counselors and lawyers working in reproductive health across Africa.
