By Martins Ifijeh
The Managing Director, Nordica Fertility Centre, Dr. Abayomi Ajayi has called for massive enlightenment of women against endometriosis, saying this will help reduce the incidence of the condition in Nigeria.
Speaking at a media briefing recently, Ajayi said every Nigerian woman deserves to know about the health condition and how to manage it, adding that Nigeria’s foremost group advocating against the condition, the Endometriosis Support Group of Nigeria (ESGN), was willing to roll out massive enlightenment programmes against it.
He said: “This condition affects about 10 to 15 per cent of women, amounting to over 200 million between the reproductive age group of 11 to 50 years, worldwide.
“It is believed to be the cause of infertility in about 30 to 40 per cent of couples with fertility problems in Nigeria. The condition has no cure.
”The impact of endometriosis on the individual, family, business and the nation is therefore of grave importance to us.
“Since 2005, the ESGN has carried out various advocacy initiatives in Nigeria and continues to push for the enlightenment of this condition; committed to research that will bring about a cure of the condition and proper training of medical personnel to properly diagnose of the condition.”
Speaking on ESGN activities for this year, Ajayi said among other things, there shall be the Annual ESGN Endometriosis Essay Competition for Secondary School Students, aimed at creating awareness among adolescents by encouraging students to research and write essays on various topics related to endometriosis and the topic for this year’s ESGN Endometriosis Essay competition is “Challenges of Living with Endometriosis” which will run till March 5, 2021.”
He said The Sisters’ Converge Video Entry into the World Endo March 2021 event held in Nigeria through the ESGN, was another activity slated for this year, adding that the ESGN is a member of the global awareness coalition called World Endo March.
This year, the managing director said the global body has requested that each member country present a 30-minute video entry which will be showcased on Friday, March 26, 2021 to a global audience.
Other activities, according to Ajayi, are the Sisters’ Converge, an online Endometriosis Conversation event, slated for March 8, 2021, in commemoration of the International Women’s Day and the African Endometriosis Awareness Foundation Annual Conference.
