When fully operational, the Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) Centre in LUTH, is anticipated to end the need for Nigerians to travel abroad to seek a cure for sickle cell disease.
Furthermore, one of the pieces of equipment donated to the centre by the Chevron/NNPC joint venture, an 8-colour Beckmann flow cytometer, is required for Prof. Temiye and his team to process and determine the quality of bone marrow obtained from the donor to be transplanted into the recipient will also assist in the characterization of different types of cancers, particularly leukaemia, in Lagos and Nigeria as a whole.
While sharing his 24-year experience in dealing with three catastrophic diseases that affect children: sickle cell disease, HIV infection, and childhood cancers, Professor Temiye compared the statistics of these diseases in Nigeria to global data.
Professor Temiye noted that his research team focused on pain management in sickle cell disorders, an aspect that was not considered by several other researchers and specialists in the field.
The Inaugural Lecturer expressed his disappointment at the lack of adequate funding for research into the cause, effect, and management of sickle cell disease in Nigeria, despite the high burden of the disorder in the country.
He commended the efforts of his team, and particularly expressed his appreciation to the management of LUTH led by Prof. Chis Bode, the Chief Medical Director, as well as the management of SCFN for the confidence reposed in him by appointing him as the Chairman of the Bone Marrow Transplant Working Group to ensure that the goals of the centre are realised in the shortest possible time.
Speaking of the continuing prevalence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection in Nigeria and its transmission to children, Professor Temiye called on the government to prioritize the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, as well as scale up public education about HIV transmission, prevention, and treatment.
On the issue of childhood cancer, the renowned professor of paediatrics urged the government and supporting partners to invest in training and retraining paediatric oncologists to improve early diagnosis and effective management of childhood cancers.
Professor Edamisan Olusoji Temiye of the Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Clinical Sciences was born on Thursday, October 24, 1957, in Igbokoda, Ondo State, Nigeria. He is happily married and blessed with children and grandchildren.
