THE Association of Catholic Medical Practitioners of Nigeria, ACMPN, has called on the federal government “to re-commit to working for all Nigerians and protection of lives of everyone, including the unborn Nigerians is a sacred duty for all, especially those in authority.

The ACMPN in a communiqué signed by Emmanuel Okechukwu, president, and Margaret Mezie-Okoye, chairman LOC, at the end of its 12th scientific conference and annual general meeting, which held at the Catholic Institute of West Africa, CIWA, Port Harcourt from July 6 to 8, 2017, appealed to the government “to adequately train the personnel, equip and fund the national agencies mandated to protect the health and lives of citizens, the environment and our natural resources.”

It said that is the only way the agencies would not become mere facilitators and local proxy organisations for global businesses whose interest and targets could be inimical to the strategic interests of Nigerians and the country itself.

Consequently, the ACMPN advocated for government to legislate and strictly regulate and monitor the introduction of GMOs in the country including express labelling of the products.

“There should be adequate funding for research and development by the GMO regulatory agencies so that Nigeria can derive any benefits from the GMO technology. But more importantly, to protect our people and environment from the many possible dangers thereto: decreasing food productivity, food gene extermination, corruption of soil ecology, food insecurity and biological imperialism as well as various health hazards on human beings, the environment, animals and plants,” it said.

Besides, the conference called on Catholic doctors to engage in health insurance and especially community-based health insurance to help citizens access healthcare, and for Nigeria to achieve universal health coverage and, so improve its currently unacceptably low indices.

“It also called on all doctors of goodwill to adopt healthier, ethically and culturally adequate approaches in their maternal, child and family health care, rather than the values of the ‘culture of death.’

“The Association of Catholic Medical Practitioners of Nigeria re-committed itself to promote the sanctity of human life, marriage between a man and a woman, natural family planning and NaProTechnology in pursuit of family health and national development,” it said further.

The conference which attracted a total of 77 participants from 16 states and the Federal Capital Territory as well as 14 dioceses addressed the issues of genetically-modified organisms (foods) and their introduction in Nigeria from various perspectives, had the theme “Genetically-Modified Organisms: How Harmful, Harmless or Beneficial?”

—  Jul 17, 2017 @ 15:30 GMT