Fertility Expert Urges Govt on Incentives for IVF Treatment 

Rebecca Ejifoma 

A world-class fertility centre, Bridge Clinic, has highlighted the need for government incentives for insurance companies to provide In-Vitro Fertility (IVF) treatment for couples in the country. 

The Senior Fertility Doctor and Gynaecologist of Bridge Clinic, Dr Ayo Olayinka, made the call at its Welcome Forum held in Lagos. 

The forum was on the theme, “Unable to Conceive the Second Time and the Inability to Achieve Conception As Secondary Infertility”.

Speaking to journalists, Olayinka decried the high cost of IVF in the country. “Because insurance usually does not offer coverage for assisted reproductive techniques (ART), most people have to pay out of pocket.”

He says, “We are hoping that the government can provide some form of incentives that will allow insurance companies to provide either limited or complete coverage for IVF treatment, even if it’s for one circle. 

According to him, such a supportive gesture would be a start, considering how pricey IVF is in the country. 

Despite the steep cost of the procedure, Bridge Clinic boasts more live births than any other clinic in the country. 

The fertility doctor expressed: “We have over 3,000 and counting live births from IVF. We expect this number to increase exponentially over the next few years.”

To further help couples achieve pregnancy, Bridge Clinic has outlets in Abuja, Port-Harcourt and two major centres in Lagos. 

He emphasised: “We hope to open more outlets that will bring this technology – ART – closer to the people to impact their lives positively.”

In his submission, he said there is a need for more awareness. “Some people know, but finance is the cause. Some have the finance but don’t know. 

“We have to strike a balance between these two so those with the wherewithal can come in as quickly as possible to access the treatment.”

Olayinka soon regretted that one of the most heartbreaking experiences is encountering a lady or a couple who wished they had the information earlier. 

Meanwhile, Bridge Clinic is proud to have pioneered the first intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in Nigeria. According to the doctor. 

ICSI is a unique technique of injecting sperm into the eggs. “Before now, the traditional approach was to keep the sperm and the egg, culture them in a dish and then wait for them to fertilise,” says Olayinka.

He also pointed out that there are men whose sperm, although alive and viable, are too weak to penetrate the eggs. 

“That is where the ICSI comes in; it helps the sperm to do its job by drilling the eggs and dropping the sperm rising to the eggs,” the gynaecologist illustrated. 

The Bridge Clinic senior doctor also hoped that the next generation of babies from this novel procedure would benefit from some form of government subsidy. 

“In some countries, there are subsidies,” Olayinka pointed out. “In Israel, the government subsidises IVF; the first two babies you have from IVF are free.”

While prescribing solutions to further boost fertility, Olayinka dissuaded women from washing their vaginas with soap to make them clean. 

He clarified: “The vagina cleans itself. The vagina should be acidic all the time. The moment it moves more towards alkaline, that’s a distortion in the vagina.”

The fertility doctor also cautioned that such harmful practices indirectly affect fertility, thereby, causing more harm.

The gynaecologist, therefore, urged men and women to seek experts’ advice, investigation, consultation and evaluation to get the solution they seek.