By Chinelo Obogo
The largest clinical trial globally, conducted by a team of Nigerian doctors has shown that intravenous iron is better than oral iron for treating anemia in pregnant women
IVON, which stands for intravenous versus oral iron deficiency anaemia in pregnant women is the largest clinical trial done on the topic worldwide, and it was coordinated by the Centre for Clinical Trial, Research and Implementation Science, College of Medicine, University of Lagos.
During the close-out ceremony of the clinical trial held in Lagos recently, the director of the center and professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Bosede Afolabi, said she was awarded a $2.5 million grant by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for the research, a significant milestone in global efforts to reduce maternal and child morbidity and mortality.
Prof. Afolabi said the outcome has established that intravenous iron is better than oral iron for treating anemia in pregnant women. “We found that the intravenous iron is safe and effective compared to oral iron. We are still publishing, so we won’t give away all our results. We are waiting for the paper to be published, but we found that it was effective in reducing iron deficiency in women, pregnant women. Most of the time in pregnancy, more than 90 percent use just oral iron to treat anemia. For now, the cost of the drugs is $40,000 but the drug is still in India.
“What we are trying to show is that one dose of intravenous is good, safe and an effective alternative for women who might not be able to tolerate the oral iron. We are in the process of publishing. We have submitted the publication for the trial of our findings to a very reputable journal, and we are waiting to hear from them once it is published, then we will go to town to disseminate it,” Afolabi said.
Minister of Health, Ali Pate, represented by the Chief Medical Director (CMD), Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Prof. Lanre Adeyemo, said the Federal Government was committed to improving quality of governance and leadership of hospitals as well as the regulatory capacity of agencies under the Ministry of Health.
The Minister said the outcome of the IVON clinical trial “will change clinical obstetrics practice in Nigeria and other developing nations of the world and ultimately improve maternal and child health outcomes and help medical industrialisation.” He also said the ongoing efforts would mark a critical turning point in international efforts to lower rates of morbidity and mortality among mothers and children.