Aminat Lawal
The Africa Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Cancer Consortium,(AHPBCC) international headquarters, Mayo Clinic in the United States of America (USA), has disclosed its willingness to collaborate with the Federal Government to establish the First Liver Transplant Center in Nigeria.
Dr Bidemi Omonisi, the AHPBCC board member and the Team Lead in Nigeria, made this known during a sensitization lecture on the establishment of the First Liver Transplant Center in Kano State, Nigeria.
Omonisi who explained that the desire to sign the Memorandum of Mnderstanding(MoU) between AHPBCC and the Federal Government is to provide liver cancer patients and other patients with End- Stage Liver Diseases the access to liver transplant in Nigeria, added that the initiative will be extended to each of the geopolitical zones in the country.
“The desire to establish this Center was extensively discussed by the Society for Gastroenterology and Hepatology in Nigeria (SOGHIN), during her Annual General Meeting (AGM) which was held in Kano in 2022.
“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- Stage Liver Diseases access the liver transplant in Nigeria at affordable cost.
“Many of our patients with Liver Cancer in Nigeria cannot 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 Liver Transplant Program in Nigeria. She also promised personal assistance in the training of personnel and other aspects of the program implementation.
“Another founding 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 in all countries in the Sub- Sahara Africa.
“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 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.”
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 Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, applauded AHPBCC for the 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 in Nigeria.
Dr 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, who also hailed the move, revealed that the first living donor liver transplantation program started officially in Egypt in August 2001 in a private hospital and after some years the number increased to seven certified Centers in the country.
“The first living donor liver transplantation program started officially in Egypt in August 2001 in a private hospital.
“Shortly, a 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 work 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, a Professor of Hepatology and Endemic Medicine at Cairo University, Prof. Ashraf Omar, said there is a 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 delivered at 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 State, Nigeria, Prof. Abdurrahman Abba Sheshe who was represented by Dr. Abubakar Bala Muhammad. They announced their total support, to ensure the huge success of the first phase of the initiative in Kano, Nigeria and other states in Nigeria.
The convener of the sensitization lecture on behalf of APHBCC and Mayo Clinic( USA ) Dr.Abidemi Omonisi, during the closing session assured that, all stakeholders will be carried along especially NICRAT, Federal Ministry of Health, SOGHIN, NCS, Philantropists, and other relevant stakeholders in the successful implementation of the project.
The President of AHPBCC, Dr. Lewis Roberts, who is a Professor of Gastroenterology, Cancer Research and Consultant Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Mayo Clinic (USA)
and other participants from Nigeria, USA, Egypt, UK, Zambia, Sudan and Liberia attended the event.