African doctors benefit from MAHE’s IVF training

Manipal: “Societal pressure is such that be it in India or Africa, infertility makes a woman feel inadequate and the people around her do not make things easy for her. While both the male and female factor in determining fertility, it is generally a woman who undergoes the trauma caused by infertility,’’ said Dr HS Ballal, Pro-Chancellor MAHE while addressing the African doctors and scientists who completed the three-month Certificate course in IVF training in Manipal on Wednesday.

In many cultures, childless women suffer discrimination, stigma, and ostracism. Their inability to bear children results in isolation, disinheritance and even assaults. MAHE in association with Merck Foundation’s ‘Merck more than a mother’ campaign has started certificate course in IVF training. So far, 55 doctors and scientists from African countries, Bangladesh, Russia and South East Asian nations have completed the training programme, started a year and half ago.

‘’The initiative by the department of Clinical Embryology at KMC Manipal has enabled Scientists and Gynecologists from African countries to get trained in Manipal. Some of them are doing well back home,’’ said Dr Poornima Baliga, Pro Vice Chancellor of Health Science.

Dean KMC Manipal Dr Sharath Rao said, “To address the lack of trained and skilled health professionals in this area, KMC is aiming to increase the number of embryologists who can provide quality service in an ethical manner. We are glad to be a part of this initiative of Merck Foundation’’.

“MAHE and Merck Foundation are planning to scale-up the IVF training to more African and Asian countries in addition to other developing countries,” said Dr Satish Adiga Coordinator of the programme in Manipal. “Ethiopia is a good example of success of the programme. They did not have any fertility centre till last year. One doctor after the training started a clinic back home, which doing very well as per the reports,” Dr Adiga added.