The Sunday Mail
Roselyne Sachiti recently IN MUMBAI INDIA
Women who drive barefoot are most likely to become infertile, a leading fertility expert warned last week.
Speaking during a panel session at the just ended 10th Edition of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary in Mumbai, India, Secretary General of International Federation of Fertility Societies Dr Oladapo Ashiru, said the presence of heavy metals in the pedals of motor vehicles is one of the not often discussed causes of infertility among women.
“When driving barefoot, the pedals on which women place their feet absorb heavy metals that are likely to cause miscarriages or prevent implantation,” he told hundreds of delegates at the conference.
Dr Ashiru also warned couples trying to conceive against eating large fish which he revealed also contain heavy metals that can result in infertility.
Dr Hiadzi
Over 10,000 participants including healthcare providers, policymakers, researchers, academia and media representatives from 70 English, French, Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries attended the Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary through a hybrid model.
Five parallel scientific and social sessions to advance healthcare capacity and awareness in 42 critical and underserved medical specialties were conducted.
Other causes of infertility were also revealed at the conference.
Speaking at a media training on the sidelines of the Luminary conference, president of the Fertility Society of Ghana Dr Edem Hiadzi, said infertility is one of the common conditions affecting the reproductive age group between 20 and 45 years.
“Infertility does not only affect women. About half of the causes of infertility are due to, or include male factors,” he said.
Dr Hiadzi added that infertility is a major cause of marital disharmony in Africa, and it exposes women especially to ostracism, social discrimination and physical violence.
“In India and South Asia for that matter, infertility has significant negative social impact on the lives of the infertile couple particularly women, who frequently experience violence, divorce, social stigma, emotional stress, anxiety, depression and low self-esteem,” he revealed.
Preventing Infections
Dr Hiadzi further said it is important to direct efforts towards prevention of pelvic infections.
“Since the major cause of infertility in Sub-Saharan Africa is from pelvic infections in both male and females, it is clear that a better approach in its management is to direct programmes towards prevention at various levels,” he said.
These, he added, include primary prevention which consists of sexually transmitted infections, post- abortal infections and post-delivery infections.
“These should consist of community education on behavioural change modification on sexual practices. Effective contraception including barrier methods of contraceptive, male plus female condoms reduce transmission of infectious organisms,” he said.
He added that contraception reduces the number of unwanted pregnancies thereby limiting the number of post abortal infections and abortion related infertility.
“Similarly, the provision of effective maternal care services will help reduce puerperal infections,” he said.
Surrogacy
He also spoke of fertility management options that include controlled ovarian stimulation with timed intercourse, intrauterine insemination, in vitro fertilisation (IVF), surrogacy and adoption among others.
With surrogacy, Dr Hiadzi said the surrogate must be screened to ascertain her mental state.
He said the surrogate must also have had her own child.
“It can be a known surrogate, a sister, or can be totally unrelated to the person. There are rules and regulations guiding this. It may seem complicated but it is a good way of helping some people if done properly,” he said.
He added that studies show that males account for 40 percent infertility with women also accounting for 40 percent.
The male and female factor is 15 percent while 5 percent is unexplained infertility.
“In the developed countries, female infertility is caused by factors such as endometriosis, anovulation from polycystic and ovarian disease, hyperprolactinemia, premature ovarian failure and cervical and endrometrial factors,” he said.
Fertility Care
Speaking at the same training, mental health specialist who is also a Merck Foundation alumni, Dr Francisca Bwalya, said infertility affects an estimated 186 million people globally.
“This translates to 48.5 million couples worldwide, 10 million in Sub-Saharan Africa.
“There is a high prevalence in West, Central and Southern African countries, and low prevalence in most East African countries,” she said.
She said accessing fertility care remained a challenge in low and middle income countries as this is not prioritised.
Dr Bwalya urged the media to provide medically accurate information.
“Public education is instrumental though it is important that the information is medically accurate and involves a medical professional,” she said.
She bemoaned the lack of detailed information and failure to include medical sources in some stories on infertility.
“The manner in which the news media reports has repercussions on how individuals think and feel about infertility as that can influence public perceptions and reactions,” she said.
Health Care Solutions
During the Luminary meeting, Merck Foundation also reported the impact of providing 1700 scholarships to doctors from 50 countries in 42 critical and underserved specialties such as; oncology, diabetes, cardiovascular preventive, endocrinology, fertility, embryology, reproductive and respiratory care, acute and intensive care, neonatal care, pediatric emergency, advanced surgery, microbiology and infectious diseases, internal medicine, ophthalmology, psychiatry, palliative care and pain management and more.
Prof Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp
Chairman of both the Executive Board of E.Merck KG and Merck Foundation Board of Trustees Prof Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp said: “At Merck Foundation, our goal is improving overall health and well-being by building healthcare capacity and by providing access to quality and equitable healthcare solutions in Africa, Asia and beyond. I would like to thank our partners, African First Ladies and health experts, policy makers, government officials, academia and media from more than 70 countries to join hands with us in order to realise the vision of Merck Foundation that ‘Everyone can lead a Healthy and Happy life.”
CEO of Merck Foundation and chairperson of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary, Senator Rasha Kelej said Merck Foundation provided 138 scholarships of oncology training in many sub-specialties to doctors from 37 African countries, many of them have become the first oncologists in their countries.
“We are making history together in Africa, with our Ambassadors, First Ladies of Africa and our partners, Tata Hospital and Krishna University,” she said.
