“Societal pressure is such that be it in India or Africa, a woman is made to feel inadequate due to infertility and people around her make things worse. While both the male and female determine fertility, it is generally the woman who undergoes the trauma caused,” said H.S. Ballal, Pro Chancellor, MAHE. He was addressing African doctors and scientists who had completed the three-month certificate course in IVF training here, recently.
A press release stated that in many cultures, childless women suffer discrimination, stigma, and ostracism. Their inability to bear children results in isolation, disinheritance and even assault.
MAHE, with Merck Foundation’s ‘Merck more than a mother’ campaign, started the course in IVF training a year and half ago. So far, 55 doctors and scientists from Africa, Bangladesh, Russia and South East Asian nations have completed it. “The initiative by the Department of Clinical Embryology at Kasturba Medical College (KMC) has enabled scientists and gynaecologists from African countries to get trained in Manipal. Some of them are doing well back home,” said Poornima Baliga, Pro V-C of Health Science.
Sharath Rao, Dean, KMC, said, “To address the lack of trained health professionals in this area, KMC aims 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 and to other countries,” said Satish Adiga Coordinator of the programme in Manipal. “Ethiopia is a good example of success of the programme. They did not have any fertility centres till last year. One doctor, after receiving the training, returned and opened a clinic, which is doing very well as per reports,” he added.
