High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU), a non-invasive treatment for fibroids and adenomyosis, has recorded remarkable success in Nigeria. However, specialists warn that without government intervention, its benefits will remain limited to only women who can afford it.
At a virtual press briefing on Tuesday to mark over a year of HIFU treatment in Abuja, Dr. Abayomi Ajayi, Chief Medical Director and CEO of Nordica Fertility Centre, together with Dr. John Bakut, a consultant at the centre’s fibroid care unit, emphasized that access to the treatment cannot be left to the private sector alone.
He noted that while government interventions in several life-threatening diseases for vulnerable populations are commendable, similar support is needed for women’s health.
According to Ajayi, the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) should be a starting point, as women — who form a large percentage of the population and contribute significantly to family and national economies — are disproportionately affected by fibroids and related conditions.
“Access to quality and affordable healthcare is ultimately a government responsibility, but this unique technology is quite capital-intensive; regardless, we have the expertise.
“We at Nordica took loans to acquire these machines, and even now we heavily subsidize the treatments; in fact, we are the cheapest provider worldwide. Elsewhere, HIFU costs between $5,000 and $8,000, but we charge much less here.
“We’ve even given free treatments to some patients, but that alone cannot solve the problem. For wider access, the government and the NHIA need to get involved,” Dr. Ajayi said.
While Nordica entered into a partnership with the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), he explained that its scope was limited, saying, “That partnership was mainly about awareness creation, not free treatment.
“The FCT is itself struggling with basic equipment like MRI machines, so funding treatments isn’t realistic at the moment.”
Dr. Ajayi noted that the experience of the past year showed a clear demand for the service. “One key lesson is that many patients truly desire HIFU treatment.
He said, “While cost is a challenge, we’ve seen patients come early and later return to pay once they can. HMOs should consider including HIFU in their packages, which would increase access.
“We’ve seen infertility cases resolve after treatment, women conceiving naturally without IVF, and severe fibroid complications being managed successfully without surgery. Every day, our results confirm that HIFU works.”
The effectiveness and safety of the treatment, he argued, strengthened the case for government adoption: “Out of all the patients we’ve treated with HIFU, none has died, none has required a blood transfusion, and none has developed major complications,” he said.
He explained that the benchmark for success differs from other medical procedures, noting, “As for ‘success rate,’ I think we need to clarify.
“Fibroid treatment with HIFU isn’t like IVF, where success is measured in live births. Here, success is judged by improvement in quality of life, and in that sense, all our patients have benefited.
“Some patients may require two treatments, but this is explained upfront during assessment, and those who need additional sessions are satisfied after completing them.
“Importantly, there have been no deaths, no major complications, and no prolonged hospital stays.”
According to him, it was on this basis that the Abuja centre celebrated a major milestone, with more than 100 women treated in just over a year.
“We have treated 100 patients in Abuja using HIFU, all successful treatments. We started in July 2024, and as of now, we’ve treated 101 patients in total.
“We felt it was worth sharing our experience, because in Lagos we’ve treated over 670 patients,” Dr Ajayi said.
Beyond fibroids, Dr Ajayi said the potential of HIFU was growing, noting, “Another lesson we’ve learned is that many patients also need psychological support, because fibroids affect quality of life beyond the physical symptoms.
“Globally, HIFU is being studied for different conditions, and as we continue to grow capacity, we’ll explore how Nigerians can also benefit from its wider applications.”
He revealed that Nordica is part of a global HIFU network, saying, “We have a society, about 40 countries that do HIFU in the world, and we meet every two years where we exchange experiences.
“There’s a teaching hospital in China dedicated only to HIFU. They do the core research, and we share our clinical experiences. Research is ongoing at Oxford University in the UK as well, where trials are exploring applications in cancer drug delivery.
“So we are part of a family. Even our results are part of the global report, and the 2024 newsletter shows HIFU is making significant progress”.
Stressing that Nigerians need to be aware and take advantage of the technology, Dr Ajayi said, “HIFU is available in Abuja, it is functional, and it will continue to serve patients. But awareness remains very low.
“Nigerians need to know about this technology. We hate hearing that women are dying from fibroids when, with HIFU, many of those deaths are preventable.
“Our message today is clear: women should not have to die from fibroids when safer treatment exists”.