A fertility specialist and consultant obstetrician-gynaecologist, Richard Ajayi, has urged governments, healthcare professionals and investors across Africa to adopt reproductive healthcare systems that recognise the continent’s cultural and religious diversity.
Speaking on Monday, the founder and Executive Vice Chairman of Bridge Clinic Fertility Centre in Lagos said healthcare policies and specialised medical services should be designed with an understanding of the different beliefs and traditions that influence healthcare decisions across African communities.
Ajayi explained that viewing Africa as a single healthcare market ignores the continent’s unique cultural, social and religious differences, particularly in reproductive medicine. According to him, healthcare systems that fail to reflect these realities risk losing public confidence and reducing access to quality medical services.
Drawing from nearly 30 years of experience in fertility care, he noted that patients’ expectations, beliefs and treatment preferences vary widely from one region to another. He said that while fertility consultations in many parts of Southern Nigeria often focus on educating patients about infertility, reproductive health and available treatment options, medical practice in parts of Northern Nigeria requires greater sensitivity to religious beliefs that shape healthcare choices.
He added that some fertility treatments, including the use of donor eggs, donor sperm and gestational surrogacy, may be unacceptable to certain patients because of their religious convictions.
Ajayi stressed that culturally responsive healthcare does not mean compromising medical standards or scientific evidence. Rather, he said it involves tailoring healthcare delivery to local realities while maintaining quality, safety and evidence-based practice.
According to him, delivering patient-centred care requires empathy, cultural awareness and effective communication, especially in specialised fields where family values and personal beliefs often influence treatment decisions. He also emphasised that expanding specialised healthcare services across Africa would depend on building flexible health systems capable of meeting the needs of diverse populations.
The fertility expert further called on governments, development partners and private investors to incorporate cultural considerations into healthcare planning, arguing that doing so would strengthen public trust, increase the use of reproductive health services and improve overall health outcomes.
He maintained that Africa’s cultural diversity should be seen as a strength rather than an obstacle, adding that culturally informed healthcare policies would support wider access to reproductive healthcare and contribute to achieving universal health coverage across the continent.