Eko Hot Blog reports that the Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Tuesday said there is an urgent need for a law to help check organ harvesting and trafficking in Nigeria.
At the 36th Annual General Meeting of the National Association of Nephrology, Obasanjo called for “legislative support in terms of a new bill to support people with kidney disease.”
“Organ trafficking is also an emerging issue in our environment and I want to plead with agencies concerned to help in examining relevant laws, especially with regards to cadaveric donations taking cognisance of our peculiar cultural and societal idiosyncrasies and also laws guiding organs to be harvested from living donors,” Obasanjo said.
Obasanjo noted that according to reports, 15% of adult Nigerians have kidney failure which is life-threatening if untreated.
He listed causes of kidney failure to include hypertension, diabetes, infections, genetics, herbal medication use, and analgesic abuse.
“I wish to acknowledge the role of NHIS in providing limited support for only six dialysis sessions, but I want to suggest a need to consider increasing the carrying capacity substantially as obtained in South Africa and Sudan,” Obasanjo stated.
To address the burden of kidney disease, the former president advocated for increased awareness, improved health infrastructure, and early detection.
Obasanjo’s call comes after former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu was sentenced to over 9 years in a UK court for an organ trafficking plot involving a young Nigerian man.
Two Nigerian doctors were also recently arrested for alleged organ harvesting in Plateau State.
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