Endometriosis Deserves Same Attention Given to HIV, Cancer Says Ajayi

• As Nordica marks 15 years of completing families

Martins Ifijeh

The Founder of the Endometriosis Support Group Nigeria (ESGN) and Medical Director, Nordica Fertility Centre, Dr. Abayomi Ajayi, has called on stakeholders and Nigerians to give same attention given to HIV and cancers to endometriosis.

He said this is necessary because one in every 10 women is suffering from endometriosis in the country; a condition that may cause infertility and/or pain for its sufferers.

Stating this during the 2018 Endometriosis Gala Night in Lagos at the weekend, he said despite the high prevalence of the scourge, medical doctors were not diagnosing the condition enough, adding that there are many undiagnosed women with endometriosis in the country.

“Awareness should not only be for the citizens. Medical experts should be knowledgeable on how to diagnose and treat it; otherwise they will continue to mistake it for other conditions.

“The reasons most doctors miss it is because they don’t suspect it. How can you suspect what you know nothing about? As a doctor, once a patient is making complaints in front of you, your head must start spinning for possible. If in the thinking there is no endometriosis, there is no way that doctor can help.”

He said this was why everyone must give priority to the scourge, adding that on its part ESGN was partnering with some experts from Germany, so that they can help in training Nigerian doctors on how to diagnose and treat the health issue.

“We need to start teaching Nigerian doctors how to treat laparoscopically. We need a lot of younger doctors and gynaecologists to get trained,” he added.

He said ESGN is involved in the cause because it wants to write the wrongs; which is that endometriosis is not found in blacks. “And we are achieving that goal already. More people are now aware. This year we had more people and organisations who partnered with us because the awareness is spreading, but we need to move a bit further than diagnosis. The campaign is now growing towards treatment.”

Meanwhile, the occasion of the gala night was also used to mark the 15th year anniversary of Nordica Fertility Centre.

The MD described the feat as a milestone, adding that looking back, he was happy that they have helped in completing several families through its expertise.

“These 15 years marks the end of a phase. We are now moving into another phase, which is to expand into a mother and child hospital with the same quality and best practise. As you already know, Nigeria is one of the worst places to give birth. That is a gap we are now yearning to fill,” he added.

The high point of the gala night was the announcement of winners of the 2018 Nordica Media Merit Award (NMMA); which saw THISDAY journalist, Martins Ifijeh, emerging the winner in the print category; other winners are Olasumbo Modupe of Lagos Television in the electronic category, and Olajumoke Adebayo, a blogger, in the online category.

The award focused on stories published between January 2017 and January 2018 in all newspapers, televisions and online. The entries from the three winners were adjudged best in their various categories.

Ifijeh’s winning piece ’The Fertility Dream’, highlighted the travails of childless couples in Nigeria who spend lonely nights trying to figure out ways out of their reproductive health issue.

The winners of each of the categories were given plaques and N250, 000 cash prize.

Members of the jury board include the Editor-in-Chief/ General Manager Publications, Vanguard Newspapers, Gbenga Adefaye, the Group Editor, The Nation Newspapers, Gbenga Omotosho, among others.