Mohammed Pate, Health Minister
FG to launch national policies on organ transplants amidst rising unethical practices
The Federal Government of Nigeria is set to introduce national policies and guidelines on organ transplants to address the increasing reports of unethical practices in organ donation and transplantation within the country.
The initiative was announced during the Living Kidney Donor Day event organized by Nisa Medical Group in Abuja on Saturday.
The Transplant Association of Nigeria (TAN) has urged the government to tackle organ transplant tourism by bolstering the local transplant sector.
Despite Nigeria having sufficient medical experts, the country faces significant challenges due to inadequate infrastructure and equipment.
Currently, Nigeria has 15 kidney transplant centres, two bone marrow transplant centres, and two corneal transplant centres, with more than half of these centres being non-operational.
Professor Ali Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, emphasized the need for new national guidelines on organ transplants.
Represented by Kamil Shoretire, Head of the Trauma and Emergency Disaster Response Division at the Department of Hospital Services, Prof. Pate expressed concern over the rising cases of kidney problems and unethical transplant practices in Nigeria.
“The number of patients affected by chronic kidney disease has been increasing, affecting an estimated 843.6 million individuals worldwide as of 2017,” Pate noted.
“In Nigeria, the leading causes of kidney disease are high blood pressure, hypertension, diabetes, and infections causing inflammation in the kidneys,” he further stated.
Prof. Pate also assured of the government’s commitment to enhancing health governance by reducing political interference, improving health outcomes, promoting medical industrialization, and strengthening health security.
Professor Aliyu Abdu, Vice President of TAN, reiterated the critical need for government intervention in organ donation and transplantation.
Representing TAN President Prof. Jacob Awobusiyi, Abdu pointed out that while Nigeria has adequate medical expertise, significant infrastructure improvements are necessary.
“There are many Nigerians in the UK, US, Middle East, and elsewhere performing transplants, indicating we have sufficient capability,” Abdu said.
“However, challenges such as infrastructure, government policy, and financing need to be addressed,” he added.
On his part, Ibrahim Wada, CEO of Nisa Medical Group, called for an urgent awareness campaign on kidney conditions due to the alarming rates of these diseases.
Wada, who has worked with living kidney donors for about a decade, emphasized the importance of celebrating those who donate their organs selflessly.
Supporting the government’s move to establish national policies and guidelines, Wada stated, “The Nigerian Kidney Transplantation Programme can be above board like any other.
“We need the Federal Government with the guidelines. Those who do not follow these guidelines will face regulatory consequences.”