including weekends. The family has to be accommodating. But since I work in a team, I can still take some time off for my family, and I think I manage that balance quite well. Q Let’s talk about the history of IVF in Ghana. You mentioned your personal journey, but how did IVF actually start here? Dr. Mainoo pioneered the entire IVF process, and I was the first embryologist to work with him. Alongside other team members—Dr. Eba Polley, Dr. Ben BoiDoku, Dr. Sam Amoo Mensah, and others—we formed the core team at Pro Vita. When I returned from Germany, we had our first group of patients—about 13 women. Most of them were in their 40s, with the youngest around 37. Some were 42 or 43 years old—women for whom there had previously been no hope at all. Out of the 13, we had about three pregnancies. Two ended in miscarriage, and only one resulted in a live birth—a 40-year-old woman delivered the first IVF baby in 1995. I’m told that the child is now either in medical school or already a doctor. At the time, IVF was relatively unknown. There were many concerns—people feared the babies might not be normal or might have malformations. But the first baby arrived, perfectly healthy. As I mentioned, she’s now either studying medicine or has already graduated. After that, more people started coming to the hospital to try IVF. But we faced a major challenge—none of the equipment or medications we needed in the lab were available locally. Medications had to be imported, often through pharmacies like VicDoris, which stocked drugs from Germany. All the lab media, culture trays, and solutions had to be prepared in-house. As the only embryologist, I did all of that myself, checking osmolarity, measuring glucose, antibiotics, and so on. Equipment like pipettes and catheters had to be imported, and power outages meant having backup generators ready at all times. It was challenging, but over the years, things have become more streamlined. Q Would you say it has become more affordable? I wouldn’t say more affordable, but definitely more accessible. The cost structure hasn’t changed much, apart from currency fluctuations and import duties, but patients can now access services more easily. Q How has public perception of IVF changed over the years? Yes, I believe things have really changed. There have been numerous surveys and research efforts by various researchers aimed at assessing the acceptability and accessibility of IVF among the general population. It’s now clear that many people have come to accept it as a viable — and sometimes the only — option for starting a family. IVF has become one of the highend solutions available. Medical training has also evolved. Fertility management and assisted reproductive technologies (ART) are now incorporated into the curriculum. So, at every level of society — even in remote districts and rural areas — doctors are able to conduct initial assessments and educate patients about their fertility options. Moreover, the proliferation of radio and television stations, both in urban and rural areas, has significantly helped. These platforms, including traditional stations and medical segments led by specialists, have been instrumental in educating the The Birthday Journal 57 E L L I S AT 6 0
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