The Federal Government of Nigeria is poised to introduce national policies and guidelines on organ transplants.
This is in response to mounting concerns over unethical practices in organ donation and transplantation within the country.
This development was disclosed by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, during the Living Kidney Donor Day event held by the Nisa Medical Group in Abuja on Saturday.
Pate, represented by Kamil Shoretire, the Head of the Trauma and Emergency Disaster Response Division, Department of Hospital Services, highlighted the urgency of the situation, citing statistics that revealed a global prevalence of 843.6 million individuals suffering from chronic kidney diseases as of 2017.
Addressing the audience, Pate expressed the government’s commitment to implementing new national guidelines on organ transplants while underscoring the pressing need for investment in awareness campaigns.
He commended the Nisa Medical Group for its efforts to combat kidney-related health issues among Nigerians.
“In Nigeria, the leading causes of kidney disease are high blood pressure, hypertension, diabetes, and infection causing inflammation in the kidneys, glomerulonephritis, which can be caused by several other agents,” Pate emphasized.
He reaffirmed the government’s support for health initiatives like the Living Kidney Donor Day event, stating, “So we strongly associate with what we are doing today and pledge to support such initiatives moving forward.”
Ibrahim Wada, the CEO of Nisa Medical Group, urged the Federal Government to promptly present the guidelines on the initiative, stressing the importance of acknowledging and celebrating altruistic organ donors.
“Let those who do it understand that the world is watching us and we cannot be at the bottom of the ladder; we can be leaders in this,” Wada asserted.
Representing the Transplant Association of Nigeria, Prof. Jacob Awobusiyi underscored the challenges facing organ transplantation in Nigeria despite the country’s capable manpower.
He advocated for improvements in infrastructure, government policy, financing, and public-private partnerships to enhance the initiative.
Awobusiyi urged the government to invest in equipping transplant centers across the country to alleviate the financial burden on Nigerians seeking such services abroad.
“If the government is interested, they can select one or two or a minimum of six, one in each geopolitical zone, and equip it to the maximum, so that transplant tourism will stop,” he suggested.
