We’re working with FG to draft organ transplant guidelines, says TAN

The Transplant Association of Nigeria (TAN) says it is working with the federal government to draft guidelines on organ transplant in Nigeria.

Aliyu Abdu, TAN vice-president, said this during the weekend at the Living Kidney Donor Day event organised by Nisa Medical Group in Abuja.

According to Arise News, Abdu said although there are more than 15 centres in Nigeria where kidney transplants are being carried out, only a few are currently active.

He said most of the active kidney transplant centres are owned and operated by the private sector, adding that the challenges they face are enormous.

On alleged abuses and unethical practices associated with organ transplant in Nigeria, Abdu said TAN was working with the federal government to regulate organ transplant in the country.

“I want to assure Nigerians that TAN is working hard to bring sanity to these specialised medical services,” he said.

“We are happy to inform you that the federal ministry of health and social welfare has established a committee that is working on producing guidelines on organ transplantation in Nigeria to ensure that ethical practices are maintained in the sector.”

Speaking at the event, Ali Pate, coordinating minister of health, said the gathering was an opportunity to take stock and carry out an appraisal.

Pate, who was represented by Karmil Soretire, director of trauma department at the ministry, said the number of patients affected by chronic kidney disease has been on the rise, affecting an estimated 843.6 million individuals worldwide as of 2017.

The minister listed some of the risk factors of kidney disease in Nigeria to include high blood pressure, hypertension, diabetes and infections causing inflammation of the kidney.

Pate added that an alarm was raised in 2019 about two new causes of kidney disease in Nigeria.

He said the causes were identified as toxicity caused by prolonged consumption of traditional herbal concoction and exposure to harmful chemicals due to use of skin bleaching cream.