This week has been an eye-opener. Of all the boring medical conferences I have attended in my life (and they have been many, I kid you not)- this week's has been the most fabulous!
The Medical Women Internation Association (MWIA) hosted this year's, triennial conference in Cairo, Egypt. The president who just stepped down, is a Nigerian, Dr Eleanor Nwadinobi and it is something that Nigerian medical doctors practicing all over the world take great pride in. Coincidentally, the immediate past present of the World Medical Association was also a Nigerian, Dr Osahon Enabulele. Nigerians and ambition, 5and6.
Anyway, back to the conference. You know something is interesting when it raises questions in you that you previously had not thought of. Or when it changes your perspective on something vital.
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My Hausa people say 'Ciwon 'ya mace, na 'ya mace ce'
How come I never knew gender disparities exist in access to eye care all over the world?
Globally there are 112 million more women than men living with vision loss, including blindness. Women are more likely to experience blindness and vision loss due to social and cultural factors, not biological ones. In rural Ethiopia and Tanzania, the responsibility of fetching water falls almost exclusively on women and girls. They must walk long distances to communal water sources, which are often contaminated and surrounded by flies. The fly is the primary vector for transmitting trachoma, a bacterial infection that causes irreversible blindness. Due to their role, women and girls have repeated exposure, making them four times more likely than men to require surgery for the late, blinding stage of the disease (Trachomatous Trichiasis). A professor from the Philippines told us that in her rural community, blindness is not seen as a medical condition but as a curse, a punishment for past sins, or the result of witchcraft.
Wetin Musa no go see for gate? In my naïve mind, blindness affects both women and men equally. In fact, I thought it was worse for men because of Hypertension and Diabetes.
How come I never knew that exposure to radiation tripled the risk of breast cancer in women, especially among female surgeons? A recent study presented by the American Medical women association showed that women working in healthcare, especially in surgery, radiology and cancer care are three times at risk of breast cancer as compared to other non-healthcare workers. Talk about occupational hazard! Me that wants my daughter to be the first neurosurgeon in northern Nigeria? Ah!
And how come I never knew about the concept of 'excessive or over utilization' of caesarean section (CS) as an emerging problem in the medical world. According to new research from the World Health Organization (WHO), caesarean section use continues to rise globally, now accounting for more than 1 in 5 (21 per cent) of all childbirths. This number is set to continue increasing over the coming decade, with nearly a third (29 per cent) of all births likely to take place by caesarean section by 2030, the research finds. However not all the caesarean sections carried out at the moment are needed for medical reasons. Unnecessary surgical procedures can be harmful, both for a woman and her baby. Complications of CS include potential for heavy bleeding, infections, slower recovery times after childbirth, delays in establishing breastfeeding and skin-to-skin contact, and increased likelihood of complications in future pregnancies. Even in Nigeria- It is CS everywhere you turn. Let me not even get started on the financial gains from private clinics.
There were just so many things to unpack. From Obesity as a risk factor for postpartum haemorrhage among women in Cairo to the adversities faced by female surgeons in Europe and America to vitamin D deficiency among Saudi women because of body covering and nocturnal lifestyle.
Tafiya mabudin ilimi.
As usual, Nigerians won many awards- best papers, research study and on our contributions to Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (MNCH) in the country. Our new President of the Medical Women Association of Nigeria (MWAN), Dr Zainab Kwaru, delivered a beautiful speech about Nigeria's commitment to health equity across the country especially in the areas of Immunization, Nutrition and Reproductive health.
In a moment of rarity, I was proud of my country.
Of course, no conference is complete without the touristic adventures accompanying it. In the short span of a week, we somehow found time to visit the dingy back-alley shops of Cairo where Kano people had managed to make home. Ah! Come and see my people, left, right and centre. From Maiduguri to Lagos, everyone buying and selling. Some people had completely migrated there. In fact, transactions in one common Elsisi shop where Nigerians frequent, can be done in Naira!
From the markets we moved to the pyramids for sightseeing and more Egyptian tea and coffee. After much haggling, (those people can rob you blind), we were taken on a two-hour tour of the pyramids and sphinxes in Cairo. By the time I came down from the carriage, all my body was sore. Our guide called it 'Egyptian Massage'.
As if the adventures were not enough, we decided to embark on a desert safari at dawn in Sharm Elsheikh. We just had to go and see what the hype was all about. Wow! Sharm Elsheik is underrated. That place is beautiful! Heaven on earth, I tell you! No wonder Trump came here to settle the Palestinian matter. It is not only ceasing fire in the middle east; we can put an end to world hunger and poverty here. In fact, as soon as your feet touch the sand, gbam! you will feel the toxic energy evaporate from your soul. Ah!
It goes without saying that after all this my waka-waka, my body is showing me pepper. I ache in places I did not know existed. Also, my money has finished, and the conference is over, so it is time to return to my alma mata.
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).
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