...pledges more centres in geo-political zones
By Precious Oham
A group, Africa Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Cancer Consortium, AHPBCC, is willing to partner with the Federal Government of Nigeria,to establish the first liver transplant center in Nigeria.
The AHPBCC Board member and the Lead for Nigeria, Dr. Abidemi Omonisi disclosed this during the sensitization lecture on the establishment of the 1st liver transplant centre in Kano State, Nigeria.
According to him, the initiative to “establish a Liver Transplant in Nigeria has been a discourse in Nigeria for many years now. He further mentioned that ,the desire to establish this centre was extensively discussed by the Society for Gastroenterology and Hepatology in Nigeria, SOGHIN, during her AGM which held in Kano in 2022.”
He went further to reveal that the initiative will be extended to the six geo-political zones in the country aimed at ensuring that liver cancer patients and other patients with End Liver Diseases access the liver transplant in Nigeria at affordable cost.
He said: “Many of our patients with Liver Cancer in Nigeria could not afford to travel abroad to access liver transplant. They are treated symptomatically until death. This status quo must change for good in Nigeria. I want to pledge the continued support of AHPBCC at all levels of the implementation of this great initiative.
Two founding board members of AHPBCC, Dr. Awki Asombang,an interventional gastroenterologist and the Director of Global Health in Gastroenterology at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School who served as the first trainer for the endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography ( ERCP) services in Nigeria promised the support of the leadership of AHPBCC in ensuring the take-off of real-time Liver Transplant Program in Nigeria.
She also promised personal assistance in the training of personnel and other aspects of the program implementation.
Another founder member of AHPBCC,Dr. Jackson Chipalia who is a HPB and Liver Transplant Surgeon at Levy Mwanawasa Teaching Hospital in Lusaka,Zambia stated that the Liver Transplant Program is highly desirable not only in Nigeria but all countries in the Sub- Sahara.
AHPBCC was established in 2020, to harness resources and expertise across the African Continent, the United States,and Europe to investigate the influences of lifestyle, environment, viral and host biological factors on the development of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Cancers, explore innovative strategies for risk prevention, early detection,and improved survival of patients with these cancers.
“If Egypt, South Africa, Uganda, Sudan, Cote d’lvoire and other African countries could establish this program, I believe it is very possible to establish a Liver Transplant Program not only in Kano but in all the six geo-political zones in Nigeria.” These were the words of Dr. Abidemi Omonisi during the Opening Session of the lecture.
The President of the Society for Gastroenterology and Hepatology in Nigeria, SOGHIN ; Professor Jesse Abiodun Otegbayo who is the Chief Medical Director of the University College University, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria,applauded AHPBCC for this great initiative.
He pleaded the support of SOGHIN ,to ensure the success of the program. SOGHIN is a national association of medical professionals involved in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diseases of the Gastrointestinal Tract (GIT) and the Liver.
Meanwhile, Mohammed Abdelwahed, M.D Consultant of Hepato-pancreatico-biliary surgery and liver transplantation, National Hepatology and Tropical Medicine Research Institute (NHTMRI) and Cairo Fatemic Hospital revealed that the first living donor liver transplantation program started officially in Egypt in August 2001 in a private hospital.
According to him,
“Shortly, few months later the second program started in another private hospital in early 2002. By 2006, we had 7 certified centers for living donor liver transplantation in Egypt. (2 private hospitals – 4 university hospitals – 1 teaching
hospital).
“More than 7500 liver transplant cases were done in Egypt since 2001.
We have more than 22 centers for liver
transplantation in Egypt.
“Many centers works less than 5-10 cases per year and few work from 10-20 cases per year. Only two governmental centers now work with maintained flow both are doing about 150 cases per year.”
Also, Prof. Ashraf Omar, a Professor of Hepatology and Endemic Medicine at Cairo University said there is need to expand liver transplant in Africa due to the high level of liver diseases such as viral hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and liver cancer.
He revealed that according to the Global Burden of Disease Study, liver disease was responsible for around 2.4% of all deaths in Africa in 2019.
Goodwill messages were received during the event by the Director-General of the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT), Prof.Usman Malami Aliyu , President of Nigerian Cancer Society (NCS), Dr. Adamu Alhassan Umar, and the Chief Medical Director of Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Kano State, Nigeria, Prof. Abdurrahman Abba Sheshe who was represented by Dr. Bala Mohammed pleaded for total support of AKTH and Kano indigenes , to ensure the huge success of the first phase of the initiative in Kano, Nigeria.
The convener of the sensitization lecture on behalf of APHBCC MAYO CLINIC, USA; Dr.Abidemi Omonisi during the closing session mentioned that, all stakeholders will be carried along especially NICRAT, Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja, SOGHIN, NCS, Philantropists,and other relevant stakeholders in the successful implementation of the project.
Dr. Omonisi finally mentioned at the close of the meeting that, the ultimate desire of APHBCC is to sign a Memoranda of Understanding with the Federal Government of Nigeria on the establishment of Liver Transplant Centres in Nigeria.
The President of AHPBCC is Dr. Lewis Roberts, who is a Professor of Gastroenterology, Cancer Research and Consultant Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Mayo Clinic in the USA.
The sensitization lecture was organized on Friday, 27th September,2024 and was attended mostly by participants from Nigeria, USA, Egypt, UK, Zambia, Sudan and Liberia .