Nigeria’s Oladapo Ashiru, emerges 1st black IFFS Secretary General

Professor Oladapo Ashiru

 By Sola Charles

 

The President of the Academy of Medicine Specialities of Nigeria, Professor Oladapo Ashiru, has been elected the first black Secretary-General of the International Federation of Fertility Societies, IFFS, Executive Council for the 2022-2025 period.

Ashiru, who is also President of the Africa Reproductive Care Society has been Assistant Secretary-General of the global body since 2019.  

 The IFFS is the world body on fertility and a non-state organization in an official relationship with the World Health Organisation, WHO.

 An experienced professor of Anatomy/Consultant reproductive endocrinologist, and co-pioneer of In Vitro Fertilisation, IVF, in Nigeria, Ashiru was elected at the General Assembly of the World Fertility Congress in Athens, Greece.

 The new Executive leadership team has Dr. Edgar Mocanu from the United Kingdom as President, with Prof Marcus Holton from Argentina as President-elect.

 Others are Dr. Eileen Malano (Philippines), Assistant Secretary-General; Dr. RishmaPai (India), Treasurer; Dr. Lana Retchitsky (USA), Assistant Treasurer, and Prof Linda Guidice (USA) Immediate past President. The Special Envoy for International relations is Dr. Zi Jiang Chen of China. 

In a statement, Ashiru said the IFFS World Congress provides a unique platform for attendees to convene, learn and discuss current advances in reproductive health, access to fertility care, and reproductive rights across the globe, and engage the patient perspective.  He said the focus of the new executive will be on improved reproductive health throughout the globe.

 “The Nigeria Association of Fertility and Reproductive Health has been an active member of IFFS since 1986, and is also a Country member of the International Executive Board represented by its current President Dr. Ibrahim Wada.”

 On the theme of the 24th World Congress:  “Exploring New Horizons in Fertility Care”, the new Secretary-General said renowned international faculty will engage attendees, while free communications and poster sessions offer an opportunity to share cutting-edge research and explore new ideas.

 
 “The IFFS is a long-standing global organization representing National Fertility Societies since 1968. We represent over 65 UN country-specific Fertility Societies that, in the aggregate, encompass an estimated 50,000 physicians and reproduction medicine specialists worldwide, including various healthcare professionals,” Ashiru stated.