Fertility experts have called on the Federal Government, health insurance providers and private investors to urgently support assisted reproductive healthcare, warning that the high cost of in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) is putting treatment beyond the reach of many Nigerians battling infertility.
The experts also demanded stronger regulation of assisted reproductive technology (ART), improved reporting of fertility procedures and increased local production of drugs and other materials used in IVF treatment.
They spoke at a joint conference of the Association for Fertility and Reproductive Health (AFRH) and the African Federation of Fertility Societies (AFFS) in Abuja on Thursday.
President of AFRH, Prof. Preye Fiebai, said infertility was a major health challenge that had not received the attention it deserved despite the large number of Nigerians affected.
“Fertility is one of the major issues we have in health. And despite the fact that we have very high fertility rates, we also have extremely high infertility rates,” Fiebai said.
He noted that the World Health Organisation (WHO) recognises infertility as a disease, stressing that people living with infertility deserve appropriate medical care.
Fiebai said the country’s heavy dependence on imported drugs and other materials was a major reason IVF remained expensive.
“The majority of what is utilised is imported. The drugs are imported. We don’t really produce much in Nigeria,” he said.
Despite the high cost, he disclosed that Nigeria remained relatively cheaper than several countries, leading to an increase in what he described as “reverse medical tourism,” where people from other countries travel to Nigeria for fertility treatment.
According to him, Nigerians in the diaspora and other foreign patients are increasingly coming to the country because they can obtain comparable treatment at lower costs.
He, however, expressed concern that Nigeria’s poor reporting of IVF procedures was affecting the sector.
He explained that inadequate data made it difficult for pharmaceutical companies and other investors to appreciate the actual size of the Nigerian fertility market.
“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 than 5,000,” he said.
Fiebai urged the government and health insurance providers to develop mechanisms for supporting Nigerians who require fertility treatment but cannot afford it.
He said universal healthcare would remain incomplete if people suffering from infertility were excluded from adequate treatment.
Experts seek ART law
The AFRH president also disclosed that stakeholders were still working with the National Assembly towards establishing a comprehensive legal framework for assisted reproductive technology in Nigeria.
He recalled that fertility professionals had engaged lawmakers in 2023 over a proposed ART bill and were continuing efforts to develop legislation that would protect patients, practitioners and children born through assisted reproduction.
“We believe that with proper regulation, the populace will be protected, the practitioners will be protected, and everyone, in fact the child,” Fiebai said.
He added that legislation must address the rights and welfare of children born through assisted reproductive procedures, as well as the responsibilities of medical practitioners and prospective parents.
On abortion, Fiebai said voluntary termination of pregnancy remained controversial in Nigeria and was generally illegal except under circumstances permitted by law.
He urged practitioners to operate strictly within the existing legal framework.
Freeze your eggs before 40, Wada advises women
The Immediate Past President of AFRH, Dr Ibrahim Wada, advised women to consider preserving their eggs before advancing age significantly affects fertility.
“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?” Wada said.
He explained that egg freezing could also benefit people undergoing medical treatment that could damage their reproductive capacity.
According to him, fertility preservation is safe and available in Nigeria, adding that more Nigerians should be encouraged to consider the option where appropriate.
“Nigeria has come of age in terms of helping our citizens who have fertility challenges,” Wada said.
1,000 professionals expected in Abuja
Meanwhile, President of the African Federation of Fertility Societies, Paul La Roux, said more than 1,000 fertility and reproductive health professionals from Africa and other parts of the world were expected at the forthcoming conference scheduled for September 24 to 26 in Abuja.
AFRH President, Fiebai, said the event, themed “Fertility Frontiers, Global Innovations and Advances in Human Reproduction,” would be the first of its kind to be hosted in Nigeria.
He said representatives of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Endocrinology and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine were also expected.
The Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Dr Sunday Onuh, said the conference would showcase Africa’s growing capacity in fertility treatment and help strengthen collaboration among practitioners.
He said the continent was increasingly attracting patients from other parts of the world seeking quality fertility treatment at comparatively lower costs.
The President-elect of AFFS, Mohamed Khrouf, described the Abuja conference as the fulfilment of a dream to bring African fertility professionals together and position the continent as an important player in reproductive medicine.
