Treat women, not just fibroids — Ajayi

… HIFU milestone spearheads wider access to non-invasive care

L-R: Founder/Managing Director, Nordica Fertility Centre and Fibroid Care centre, Dr Abayomi Ajayi; Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs Rainat Onigbanjo; Clinic Manager, Nordica Fertility Centre, Mrs Tola Ajayi; Permanent Secretary, Lagos Health Service Commission, Dr Femi Omololu; and Chief Operating Officer, Nordica Fertility Centre, Dr Tosin Ajayi-Adeniyi, during the White Party in celebration of 1000 HIFU treatment in Lagos... on Saturday.

By Admin

Medical doctors must look beyond treating fibroids to address the physical, psychological, social and reproductive challenges women face, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Fibroid Care Centre @ Nordica, Dr Abayomi Ajayi, has said.

Ajayi spoke as the centre marked 1,000 high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatments for women with fibroids, using the five-year milestone to highlight the need for more individualised care and wider access to alternatives to surgery.

“This milestone is not about the machine; it is about choice. For too long, women had only one choice. We have completed 1,000 treatments, and the next 1,000 will come faster because West African women deserve world-class care,” he said.

Ajayi said the central lesson from the centre’s experience was the need to “treat the woman, not just the fibroid”, warning that doctors could become so focused on the growths that they overlooked the women living with them.

“When we look at uterine fibroids and adenomyosis through the clinical lens, every clinician in this room knows that the true impact of these conditions extends far beyond the physical symptoms. Fibroids and adenomyosis represent a multidimensional crisis for women. It is psychological and social as well,” he said.

According to him, silence and the tendency of women to conceal their symptoms can fuel anxiety, erode self-esteem and strain relationships, leaving many to cope with the condition in isolation. He said his experience treating women with fibroids and adenomyosis over the past five years had reinforced the need to consider their circumstances and quality of life alongside clinical findings.

“For every woman who bled every month and thought it was normal, this is for you. For every woman who was told, ‘You no longer need your uterus; just remove it,’ this is for you. We must never ignore the psychological and social burden these conditions place on women. We now work with a psychologist to support some of our patients,” Ajayi said.

He also highlighted the economic consequences, including lost working hours, repeated medical expenses and disruption to daily activities. Some women, he said, are unable to go to work because of their symptoms.

Explaining the significance of the centre’s White Party celebration, he said it was intended to recognise women who had endured the condition and sought treatment.

“Some women avoid wearing white clothes because they fear visible bleeding,” he said, describing an often-overlooked effect of heavy menstrual bleeding on women’s confidence and social lives.

The reproductive implications of fibroids, he added, make treatment choices particularly important. For decades, open myomectomy and hysterectomy have featured prominently among treatment options, but surgery carries risks, and the choice of procedure can have implications for future reproductive plans.

Ajayi said the centre introduced HIFU to West Africa to offer an alternative that targets fibroid tissue without surgical incisions or removal of the uterus.

“When we introduced HIFU to West Africa, our goal was simple but ambitious: to offer precise ablative treatment that destroys targeted tissue without surgical incisions or removal of the uterus,” he said.

HIFU uses focused ultrasound energy to heat and destroy targeted tissue, after which the treated fibroid gradually shrinks. However, the procedure is not suitable for every patient; eligibility depends on factors such as fibroid size, location and characteristics, and outcomes vary.

Reflecting on the 1,000 treatments, Ajayi said the significance extended beyond clinical measures such as changes in fibroid volume and symptom severity.

“Today, as we reflect on 1,000 treatments, we are not merely presenting clinical safety data, volume reduction rates or improvements in symptom severity scores. We are celebrating 1,000 opportunities to restore lives. We are talking about women returning to their families and careers, reclaiming their bodily integrity and regaining hope,” he said.

He acknowledged the need for continued clinical assessment and collaboration, describing the centre’s experience as an opportunity to improve treatment and expand access to non-invasive options across Africa.

“We are not presenting our experience as a final destination but as an invitation to collaborate, refine our approach and expand access to non-invasive fibroid treatment across Africa,” he said.

The five-year experience and 1,000-treatment mark place renewed focus on the need for comprehensive fibroid care that weighs clinical evidence, available treatment options, fertility considerations and quality of life. 

Ajayi noted that Nigeria was currently the only country in West Africa offering HIFU, expressing hope that more centres would adopt the treatment.

The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs, Mrs. Rianat 'Jibike Onigbanjo said the milestone highlighted the importance of medical innovation, access to appropriate care and support for women whose health, family lives and daily activities are affected by fibroids.

 “When we speak of 1,000 successful treatments, it is easy to focus on the number. But behind that number are 1,000 women, 1,000 personal journeys and countless moments of fear and hope,” she said.

Onigbanjo noted that fibroids could cause discomfort, anxiety and significant changes to women’s daily lives, adding that finding appropriate care could be difficult for some patients.

The Permanent Secretary commended the centre’s management and medical team, led by Dr Abayomi Ajayi, and urged women not to ignore persistent symptoms or suffer in silence.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Health Service Commission, Dr Femi Omololu, hailed the introduction of less-invasive approaches to women’s healthcare, recounting how observing laparoscopic surgery at Nordica influenced his own medical practice.

“I was among those who were initially skeptical, but I knew he would find a way,” he said.

HIFU uses focused ultrasound energy to heat and destroy targeted fibroid tissue, which gradually shrinks over time. Unlike procedures involving surgical incisions, it offers a non-invasive option for selected patients seeking to preserve their uterus.

However, the treatment is not suitable for every woman. Eligibility depends on factors including fibroid size, location and characteristics, while outcomes vary. Preserving the uterus does not automatically guarantee future pregnancy, making individual assessment and counselling essential.

The five-year milestone has drawn attention to the potential role of less-invasive treatment in fibroid care, as well as the need to ensure women receive balanced information about the benefits, limitations, risks and costs of available options.

 

 

 

Lagos Controller of Corrections seeks better youth mental healthcare

…Calls for affordable care, safer digital spaces for young people

By Admin

The Controller of Corrections, Lagos State Command, Nigerian Correctional Service, Mr Daramola George, has called for improved access to mental healthcare for young Nigerians, warning that online harassment and cyberbullying can undermine their wellbeing.

George made the call in a goodwill message delivered on his behalf by the Deputy Controller of Corrections, Mr Ajayi Francis Akinlou, at the Vanguard Mental Health Summit in Lagos. He urged stakeholders to provide affordable, professional care and address the stigma that prevents young people from seeking help.

The summit, organised by Vanguard Media Limited, was held on Friday, October 9, 2026, at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos. Its theme was “Advancing Youth Mental Health in Nigeria through Access, Action and Advocacy,” with the sub-theme, “Mental Health in a Digital Age: Navigating Social Media, Technology and Wellbeing.”

George called for stronger primary healthcare services, community-based support and digital counselling platforms that protect users' privacy and meet professional standards. He also stressed the need to reach young people without reliable internet access or digital devices.

Acknowledging the benefits of social media for learning, creativity and connection, he urged greater digital literacy and healthier online habits to help young people navigate risks such as misinformation and harmful social comparisons.

He also identified shortages of trained mental health personnel, delayed identification of psychological distress and inadequate support in schools and workplaces as challenges requiring attention.

Addressing stigma, George said seeking professional help should be recognised as a responsible step rather than a sign of weakness.

“Seeking professional help is not weakness. It is courage. It is responsibility. It is self-care,” he said.

He urged media organisations, technology companies, influencers and content creators to promote accurate mental health information and report sensitive issues such as suicide and self-harm responsibly, including directing audiences to appropriate sources of support.

George further called for young people to participate in shaping policies and programmes that affect them.

“We must not only speak about them. We must speak with them,” he said, noting that their experiences of social media, education, employment and relationships should inform decisions about their needs.

Commending Vanguard Media for organising the summit, he urged participants to translate its discussions into practical outcomes.

“Let this summit not end with applause. Let it begin a movement,” he said.

Nigeria seeks lead role in global sickle cell partnership

 

... SCFN pushes Nigeria for early role in OneSCD rollout

By Admin

Nigeria has asked to be considered as an early demonstration country for OneSCD, a new global partnership seeking to transform sickle cell disease, SCD, care, citing the country’s high disease burden, technical expertise and locally developed solutions.

The call was made by National Director and CEO of the Sickle Cell Foundation Nigeria, SCFN, Dr Annette Akinsete, at the launch of OneSCD: A Global Partnership to Advance Equity and Transform Sickle Cell Care, during the 81st United Nations General Assembly, UNGA81, in New York.

Akinsete, who joined the Nigerian delegation at the invitation of the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, said Nigeria should not be treated merely as a beneficiary of global interventions but as a co-creator of solutions that can be developed, tested and adapted to other settings.

“Nigeria brings far more to OneSCD than its disease burden. Nigeria brings experience, institutions, technical expertise, civil society, lived experience and solutions that have been developed in our own context. Nigeria therefore has both an opportunity and a responsibility to help demonstrate what country-led implementation of OneSCD can look like,” she said.

She urged global health partners to give high-burden countries, particularly those in sub-Saharan Africa, a stronger role in designing, adapting and implementing SCD interventions.

The call comes amid a huge global SCD burden. The World Health Organization estimates that 7.74 million people were living with SCD globally in 2021, with about 515,000 new births, while sub-Saharan Africa accounts for nearly 80 per cent of global cases.

Akinsete said Nigeria’s response must go beyond the numbers by linking prevention, early diagnosis, comprehensive care, research, advocacy and community engagement.

SCFN said its programmes have supported more than 32,000 Transcranial Doppler screenings, 259,000 haemoglobin investigations, 70,000 medication interventions, 3,500 prenatal diagnosis interventions and over 10,000 genetic counselling engagements.

Akinsete said the success of OneSCD should ultimately be measured by whether it closes gaps in access to quality care and improves survival and health outcomes in countries carrying the greatest burden.

“Where a child is born should not determine whether that child survives and thrives with sickle cell disease,” she said.

The OneSCD launch brought together governments, global health organisations, technical institutions, civil society and people living with SCD, with support from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, founding partners and champion governments.

For Nigeria, the initiative offers an opportunity to turn its experience and locally developed solutions into part of the global response to SCD.

Mental health patients deserve a say in decisions - WHO

By Admin 

As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to mark World Mental Health Day 2026, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has called on governments and health systems to move beyond listening to people with mental health conditions and give them a meaningful role in shaping the policies and services that affect their lives.

The call comes amid concerns that people with lived experience are often invited to share personal stories but excluded from decisions about their treatment, recovery and access to care.

The WHO, in its message on October 10, said the theme, “Lived experiences heard: real voices, real change,” was intended to recognise the knowledge of people who have experienced mental health conditions and make their participation central to reforming mental health services.

According to WHO, meaningful participation goes beyond hearing personal testimonies. It requires involving people with lived experience in designing services, developing policies, evaluating programmes and holding institutions accountable.

“World Mental Health Day is an opportunity to meaningfully engage with people with lived experience (PWLE) of mental health conditions and to recognize their knowledge as a vital form of expertise. This year’s campaign calls for their voices to shape the policies, services and decisions that affect their lives,” the organisation noted.

Further, WHO said: “Lived experience is what someone has experienced themselves, especially when it gives the individual knowledge or understanding that people who have only heard or learnt about such experiences do not have. Too often, PWLE are asked to share their stories but excluded from decisions. Meaningful engagement extends beyond simply being heard.

“It means creating opportunities for people to influence decisions, co-design services, strengthen peer-led approaches, challenge stigma and strengthen accountability. When PWLE are meaningfully engaged, mental health systems are likely to become more person-centred, rights-based and responsive to people's needs and concerns.”

The WHO said their experiences could reveal barriers that health professionals and policymakers might otherwise overlook, helping services respond more closely to the needs of patients and their families.

“One important priority for PWLE is the shift away from long-stay psychiatric institutions towards community-based, person-centered mental health care. Institutions tend to be isolating and are too often associated with poor-quality care, coercion and human rights abuses.  

“Deinstitutionalisation requires a carefully planned shift in funding, services and support so that people can live in their communities. Reflecting this priority, WHO will  launch practical guidance on deinstitutionalisation.

“On this World Mental Health Day, let us move from listening to action – and build mental health systems with PWLE, not merely for them. Mental health systems should be built with people who have lived experience, not merely for them,” WHO noted.

The campaign also draws attention to the need for more humane, person-centred care, including a shift away from dependence on long-stay psychiatric institutions towards adequately supported community-based services.

The WHO noted that only nine per cent of countries responding to its Mental Health Atlas 2024 survey had fully transitioned to community-based mental health care, while 53 per cent remained at an early stage of the transition.

It also reported that 45 percent of responding countries had ongoing collaboration with people with lived experience and family or caregiver advocacy groups in planning, delivering or monitoring mental health services.

The figures point to a gap between recognising patients' rights and ensuring that their experiences influence how care is organised and delivered.

For Nigeria, the message raises questions about the place of patients, survivors and caregivers in mental health policy, treatment decisions and the delivery of community services.

Nigeria has a Mental Health Act, but questions remain about implementation, the availability of services and the extent to which people experiencing mental health conditions can obtain affordable, respectful care without stigma or discrimination.

Stakeholders note that the challenge is not simply to encourage people to speak about mental illness, but to ensure that their voices carry weight when decisions are made about their lives.

World Mental Health Day is observed annually on October 10 to raise awareness, challenge stigma and promote better mental health care worldwide.

Stockouts, provider bias deny women access to contraceptives -- Experts

 ... Jagun, Azege, Shokunbi urge journalists to expose barriers

Mrs. Yinka Shokunbi

Mrs. Alu Azege

Dr Moriam Jagun

By Admin

Nigeria’s contraceptive shelves may be stocked, but many women and girls still cannot obtain or freely use family planning services because of cost, stockouts, provider bias, stigma, misinformation and other barriers, reproductive health stakeholders have warned.

The Executive Director, Centre for Bridging Health Gaps, Dr. Moriam Jagun, said Nigeria must stop equating the availability of contraceptive commodities with genuine access, urging journalists to investigate the barriers preventing women and young people from making informed reproductive choices.

Addressing members of the Network of Reproductive Health Journalists of Nigeria (NRHJN) during a forum to mark the 2026 World Contraception Day, held under the theme, “No Barriers, Just Choices: Contraceptive Access Now!”, Jagun said access went beyond having contraceptives physically available.

“Contraceptive availability is not the same as access, which has several dimensions, including financial, physical, social, cultural, religious and informational accessibility. We can have contraceptives in the country, or even sitting on the shelf in a facility, and still not have true access.”

Jagun identified provider bias as another major barrier, particularly when healthcare workers allow personal beliefs and values to influence the care they provide.

“The message to providers should be to inform and support, not make the decision for the client. Success is not simply how many women accept contraception. We should ask whether she was informed, had options, chose freely and can change or discontinue the method if she wishes,” she said.

She warned that national figures could mask inequalities affecting rural women, adolescents, women with disabilities and other underserved groups.

“Universal access will not happen accidentally, we have to deliberately design services for those most likely to be left behind,” she said.

Supporting the call for greater scrutiny, the Executive Director of the Media Health and Rights Initiative of Nigeria, Mrs. Alu Azege, described Nigeria’s contraceptive challenge as a delivery problem, not a demand problem.

Azege who urged journalists to investigate stockouts, funding, procurement and provider practices instead of simply reporting official policies and programmes, said “Nigeria’s unmet need is not a demand problem. Nigerians need it, we are demanding it. It’s a delivery problem. Access isn’t delivered just by hashtags, it’s delivered by procurement budgets and providers doing their jobs, and also exposed when they don’t.”

She challenged journalists to investigate whether pregnancies are planned and wanted, arguing that unintended pregnancies should prompt questions about gaps in the health system.

“Intention is what turns childbearing from a risk into a choice. Ask three basic questions: The method I want, is it in stock? Is it affordable? Is it from a provider who serves instead of lectures?”

Earlier, the President of the NRHJN, Mrs Oluyinka Shokunbi, said Nigerian women and girls needed unhindered access to contraceptive choices, warning that cultural, religious and information barriers continued to limit their ability to decide if, when and how often to have children.

“More than ever before, Nigerian women need the power to make contraceptive choices, and they need it now,” she said, noting that the falling age of sexual debut had increased the urgency of providing young people with accurate sexual and reproductive health information, particularly as many parents remained reluctant to discuss sexuality with their children.

She expressed concern that contraceptive access is critical not only for preventing unintended pregnancies but also for improving health and advancing gender equality by enabling women and girls to pursue education, careers and wider participation in society.

Robot gets living human skin that wrinkles and heals

By Admin

Scientists have taken robotics a startling step closer to the human body after growing living human skin on a working robotic finger, creating a machine covering that stretches, bends and even develops wrinkles as the robot moves.

The breakthrough, achieved by researchers at the University of Tokyo, involved growing skin from human cells directly on a robotic finger. The cells formed layered tissue resembling natural human skin, including the dermis and outer epidermis.

The study, “Living skin on a robot,” was published in “Matter”. As the robotic finger bent and stretched, the living skin moved with it and developed natural-looking wrinkles around the joints, mimicking the behaviour of human skin. The researchers then tested whether the tissue could respond to injury.

After making a small cut in the artificial skin, they applied a collagen-based bandage. The living cells gradually repaired the wound, with the researchers reporting substantial healing over about a week.

The experiment points to a potentially new direction for robotics, in which machines could eventually be covered with living tissue rather than conventional synthetic materials.

The researchers' work could have implications for the development of more lifelike robots, advanced prosthetic devices and machines designed to interact more naturally with humans.

However, scientists say the technology remains far from producing a fully functioning human-like robotic body. One of the major challenges is keeping the living tissue alive. Unlike synthetic robot coverings, the cultured skin requires a moist environment to survive.

The University of Tokyo researchers' achievement nevertheless demonstrates that living human tissue can be integrated with a moving robotic structure and respond mechanically to movement and injury.

The development raises a striking possibility: future robots may not be covered entirely in plastic, rubber or metal. Some could carry living tissue capable of moving, changing and healing.

Fibroid Care Centre @Nordica hits 1,000 successful HIFU treatments milestone

By Admin

The Fibroid Care Centre (FCC) at Nordica, has performed its 1,000th successful High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound, HIFU, treatment for fibroids and adenomyosis, reaching the milestone five years after the centre began offering the procedure, marking a significant development in the use of focused ultrasound technology for fibroid care in Nigeria.

The 1,000th milestone was attained against the backdrop of the burden of uterine fibroids among Nigerian women and interest among  patients in treatment options that may avoid or reduce the need for invasive surgery where medically appropriate.

In a statement, the FCC, which is West Africa's first specialist centre for the non-invasive and minimally invasive treatment of uterine fibroids and adenomyosis, described fibroids as common non-cancerous growths in or around the uterus that can cause heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding, pelvic pain, pressure and abdominal enlargement. 

“For women with symptomatic fibroids, surgery remains an established treatment option, but some patients seek alternatives that do not involve a surgical incision.;That search for alternatives is reflected in the experiences of some women treated at the centre,” the Centre noted.

 

One patient who pleaded anonymity, said her recovery had brought noticeable changes to her menstrual cycle, with her bleeding reducing to five days and the blood clots and discomfort she previously experienced disappearing.

“My healing process has been good, noticeable changes in my body and monthly cycle. My bleeding has reduced drastically to five days, no discomfort or blood clotting, swelling has reduced. I can sleep on my tummy now. I feel good now,” she said, noting that she plans to undergo a follow-up scan to assess the status of her fibroid.

Another woman referred to the centre from Equatorial Guinea was also reported to have experienced relief after treatment. Her referee said the patient had initially needed reassurance about the treatment but later reported being regularly pain-free.

“I'm reaching out to thank you and your team for the excellent care provided to the patient and friend in Equatorial Guinea that I recommended your practice to, and for meeting with her to allay her fears and concerns. The last I heard from her, she mentioned that post-surgery, she has been regularly pain free. She sends her sincere thanks to you.”

According to the Centre, the 1,000-treatment milestone reflects its investment in HIFU technology and the development of local expertise even as the patient experiences highlight the expanding range of approaches available to women living with fibroids. 

“HIFU uses focused ultrasound energy to target and destroy fibroid tissue without a surgical incision. It is not suitable for every patient, with eligibility depending on factors including the size, number, location and accessibility of the fibroids, as well as the patient's overall health and treatment goals.

“For appropriately selected patients, HIFU can provide a non-incisional treatment option. However, outcomes vary, symptoms can persist or recur, and some patients may require additional treatment or follow-up.

Fibroids are non-cancerous growths in or around the uterus and can cause heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding, pelvic pain, pressure and abdominal enlargement. Treatment options vary according to the characteristics of the fibroids and the individual patient's circumstances.

The 1,000-treatment milestone is being marked at a forum where medical professionals and former patients are expected to discuss HIFU and its place among the treatment options available for women with fibroids and adenomyosis.