We have previously posted information on this website highlighting the discussions on uterine fibroids in Africa during the virtual meeting on February 24-25, 2022 cosponsored by the Campion Fund and the Fibroid Foundation Africa. (1,2). A paper has now been published authored by several individuals who attended this meeting (3). The article presents a review of the clinical presentation of uterine fibroids, appearance of fibroids, and drivers of the disease with attention to Africa. Information regarding the Incidence and prevalence in African countries as currently known is presented. The authors mention that this information is difficult to ascertain as women seek care late in the course of the disease. In African majority of the treatment is surgical. Of these surgeries 15% are hysterectomies, with 85% of the surgeries are myomectomies. In the African continent non-surgical treatments are expensive and not extensively used. The authors make a case for further research and date collection. Mention is made of conducting a research review of all hospital records to discover a more detailed base of information on uterine fibroids and how they are treated across Africa. This would be an African registry of women treated for fibroids and would serve as a source for clinical researchers. It is suggested that collection of surgical tissue and the establishment of what would in essence be a biobank that could be used by researchers in Africa to study uterine fibroids. This would be a very useful resource for researchers and could possibly help give excellent insight into the fact that Black women have more fibroids and develop them at earlier ages compared to other women. The paper is a great first step in educating physicians and other healthcare workers as well as advocates to the extent of uterine fibroids and the need to alternate treatments for women in the African continent. In addition, I hope that all the Global Health Divisions in US universities will start to pay attention to the serious problem of uterine fibroids in Africa. The Campion Fund is proud to have co-sponsored this meeting entitled Uterine Fibroids: The Science, The Treatment and The Myths and to observe the increasing impact of the meeting as demonstrated by this publication.
References:
(1). https://campionfund.org/resources/item/183-first-african-conference-on-uterine-fibroids
(2). https://campionfund.org/blog/item/167-conclusions-and-recommendations-from-the-uterine-fibroids-the-science-the-treatment-and-the-myths-conference-for-africa
(3). Sefah N, Ndebele S, Prince L, Korasare E, Agbleke M, Nkansah A, Thompson H, Al-Hendy A, Agbleke AA. Uterine fibroids - Causes, impact, treatment, and lens to the African perspective. Front Pharmacol. 2023 Jan 10;13:1045783. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2022.1045783. PMID: 36703761; PMCID: PMC9871264.