A rare type of in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) called The Walking Egg (TWE) technology has been used to produce a baby in Ghana.
First African baby born using rare, low-cost IVF technique [Hi-Tech]
The healthy 3.3-kilogramme baby boy was delivered last week after using the low cost alternative of the expensive IVF methods available.
The parents of the baby were childless for eight years and had been unsuccessful with the technology twice.
This third successful attempt at a hospital in the capital Accra, made Ghana the first country in Africa to produce a baby through this technology.
The Walking Egg technology is another artificial fertility method that enables the fertilisation of the sperm and egg outside the human body for about two to five days.
The fertilised egg is then placed back into the womb for the natural gestation period.
This technology was developed in 2014 by Belgian fertility specialist Professor Dr. Willem Ombelet and his team of fertility experts at the Genk Institute for Fertility Technology in Belgium.
The professor’s aim for developing this revolutionary technology was to help couples with fertility issues in developing countries where resources are unavailable.
So far, 89 healthy babies have been born using the method in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.
The Walking Egg technology was introduced in Ghana in 2015 after a fertility conference.
Currently, the second African baby from this technology will soon be born by another Ghanaian woman who is 7 months pregnant.
The professor said in a statement that he has encountered administrative setbacks in launching the technology in Africa.
He noted some of the challenges including, accreditation from authorities, high import duties on equipment, and opposition from conventional IVF institutions.
The Walking Egg technology costs less than one-third, the cost of a conventional IVF.
Watch this edition of Hi-Tech on The Morning Call with Ismail Akwei for more.