Ernestine Gwet Bell

Last updated
Ernestine Gwet Bell
Born1953
Sackbayémé
CitizenshipCameroon
EducationUniversity of Paris 5
OccupationGynaecologist
Notable workEnabling birth of Cameroon's first IVF baby

Ernestine Gwet-Bell (born 1953) is a gynaecologist from Cameroon, who supervised the first successful in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment in Cameroon.

Contents

Early life

Gwet-Bell was born in 1953 in Sackbayémé, in the department of Sanaga Maritime, Cameroon. [1] Her father was initially a Catholic priest, but converted to become a Protestant pastor; her mother was a nurse and midwife. [2] One of six brothers and sisters, she studied medicine at the University of Paris 5. [1]  Her first job was at the Council of Baptist and Evangelical Churches Hospital in Bonabéri, which was affiliated to the church she attended; she also worked at the Laquintinie Hospital. [1]

Career

Gynaecology

In 1987 she opened a private practice, the Odyssey Clinic, in Douala, which as of 2020 was one of Cameroon's most respected gynaecological medical facilities. [1] Alongside five other colleagues she founded Cameroon's first assisted fertility centre: Centre des Techniques de Pointe en Gynécologie-Obstétrique; her co-founders are: Berthe Bollo, Guy Sandjon, Monique Onomo, Nicole Akoung and Christian Pamy. [1] In 2016, the first public IVF centre opened in Yaounde. [3] Gwet-Bell was its director in 2020. [4] In

In 1998, Gwet-Bell supervised the birth of the first Cameroonian child born through in vitro fertilization. [1] [5] The baby was called Thommy. [6] In 2004, her team were able to successfully practice Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI), an innovative technique designed in 1992 to fight against male sterility in the context of IVF. [7] [6] As of August 2007, she a'nd her team were responsible for the birth of 500 babies through in vitro fertilization. [8] She is President of the Inter-African Fertility Study, Research and Application Group, as well as the union of private doctors in Cameroon. [9] [6]

In 2019 she chaired the organisational committee of a conference which brought together gynaecologists and neonatal specialist from across Cameroon together. [10]

Autism

One of her nephews has autism and in 2005 she founded Orchidée Home, which is designed to support autistic children and their parents. [1] Two years later, in 2007, she organized the first autism congress in Cameroon. [1]

Selected publications

Personal life

Gwet Bell is married and has two daughters and a son. [1]

Related Research Articles

Reproductive technology encompasses all current and anticipated uses of technology in human and animal reproduction, including assisted reproductive technology (ART), contraception and others. It is also termed Assisted Reproductive Technology, where it entails an array of appliances and procedures that enable the realization of safe, improved and healthier reproduction. While this is not true of all people, for an array of married couples, the ability to have children is vital. But through the technology, infertile couples have been provided with options that would allow them to conceive children.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Assisted reproductive technology</span> Methods to achieve pregnancy by artificial or partially artificial means

Assisted reproductive technology (ART) includes medical procedures used primarily to address infertility. This subject involves procedures such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), cryopreservation of gametes or embryos, and/or the use of fertility medication. When used to address infertility, ART may also be referred to as fertility treatment. ART mainly belongs to the field of reproductive endocrinology and infertility. Some forms of ART may be used with regard to fertile couples for genetic purpose. ART may also be used in surrogacy arrangements, although not all surrogacy arrangements involve ART. The existence of sterility will not always require ART to be the first option to consider, as there are occasions when its cause is a mild disorder that can be solved with more conventional treatments or with behaviors based on promoting health and reproductive habits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgeanna Seegar Jones</span> American gynecologist

Georgeanna Seegar Jones was an American reproductive endocrinologist who with her husband, Howard W. Jones, pioneered in vitro fertilization in the United States.

Egg donation is the process by which a woman donates eggs to enable another woman to conceive as part of an assisted reproduction treatment or for biomedical research. For assisted reproduction purposes, egg donation typically involves in vitro fertilization technology, with the eggs being fertilized in the laboratory; more rarely, unfertilized eggs may be frozen and stored for later use. Egg donation is a third-party reproduction as part of assisted reproductive technology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bonabéri</span> Place in Littoral Region, Cameroon

Bonabery is a district of Douala, the largest city and economic capital of Cameroon. It is located on the right bank of the Wouri River, opposite the districts of Akwa, Deido and Bonanjo. Bonabery is home to many industries, markets, and transport facilities. It is also a cultural hub, with a vibrant music scene and a rich history. It is located on the western side of the harbour across the Wouri River from the larger port of Douala.

Sackbayeme is a rural city in Cameroon. °The city's co-ordinates are 48° 21'S 34°12'W.

Reproductive surgery is surgery in the field of reproductive medicine. It can be used for contraception, e.g. in vasectomy, wherein the vasa deferentia of a male are severed, but is also used plentifully in assisted reproductive technology. Reproductive surgery is generally divided into three categories: surgery for infertility, in vitro fertilization, and fertility preservation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Webster (doctor)</span> English doctor

John Webster FRCOG is an English obstetrician and gynaecologist. Present at the world's first in vitro fertilisation (IVF) birth, Louise Brown, Webster has continued to develop and further research in the field of IVF.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to obstetrics:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fertility testing</span>

Fertility testing is the process by which fertility is assessed, both generally and also to find the "fertile window" in the menstrual cycle. General health affects fertility, and STI testing is an important related field.

Partner-assisted reproduction, reception of oocytes from partner (ROPA), reciprocal IVF,shared motherhood, partner IVF or co-IVF is a method of family building that is used by couples who both possess female reproductive organs. The method uses in vitro fertilization (IVF), a method that means eggs are removed from the ovaries, fertilized in a laboratory, and then one or more of the resulting embryos are placed in the uterus to hopefully create a pregnancy. Reciprocal IVF differs from standard IVF in that two partners are involved: the eggs are taken from one partner, and the other partner carries the pregnancy. In this way, the process is mechanically identical to IVF with egg donation. Reciprocal IVF offers the highest chance for pregnancy and a lower chance of a multiple births.

Jacques Cohen is a Dutch embryologist based in New York, U.S. He is currently Director at Reprogenetics LLC, Laboratory Director at ART Institute of Washington at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, and Scientific Director of R & D at IVF-online.

Female fertility is affected by age and is a major fertility factor for women. A woman's fertility is in generally good quality from the late teens to early thirties, although it declines gradually over time. Around 35, fertility is noted to decline at a more rapid rate. At age 45, a woman starting to try to conceive will have no live birth in 50–80 percent of cases. Menopause, or the cessation of menstrual periods, generally occurs in the 40s and 50s and marks the cessation of fertility, although age-related infertility can occur before then. The relationship between age and female fertility is sometimes referred to as a woman's "biological clock."

The history of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) goes back more than half a century. In 1959 the first birth in a nonhuman mammal resulting from IVF occurred, and in 1978 the world's first baby conceived by IVF was born. As medicine advanced, IVF was transformed from natural research to a stimulated clinical treatment. There have been many refinements in the IVF process, and today millions of births have occurred with the help of IVF all over the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Howard W. Jones</span> American physician (1910-2015)

Howard Wilbur Jones, Jr. was an American gynecological surgeon and in vitro fertilization (IVF) specialist. Jones and his wife, Georgeanna Seegar Jones, were two of the earliest reproductive medicine specialists in the United States. They established the reproductive medicine center that was responsible for the birth of the first IVF baby in the U.S. He wrote articles on the beginning of human personhood and testified before legislators on the same subject. He was one of the early physicians to perform sex reassignment surgeries.

Miriam Friedman Menkin, née Miriam Friedman, was an American scientist who was most famous for her in vitro fertilization (IVF) research with John Rock. In February 1944, she became the first person to conceive human life outside of the body.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danièle Diwouta-Kotto</span>

Danièle Diwouta-Kotto, is a Cameroonian designer and architect, member of the Cameroon architects association (ONAC) and founder of the V.A.A. Villes et Architectures d'Afrique organization.

Sarah Martins da SilvaFRCOG is a British gynaecologist and researcher specialising in male infertility. Martins da Silva is a Clinical Reader in reproductive medicine at the University of Dundee. She also works as an honorary consultant gynaecologist at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, specialising in fertility problems and assisted conception. She was named one of the BBC's "100 Women of 2019" for her contribution to fertility science.

Catharyn Johanna Stern is a clinical associate professor, and gynaecologist at Waverley Private Hospital in Melbourne, Victoria. She was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to gynaecology, reproductive medicine and fertility research. Stern has been a member of the Australian Medical Association (AMA) member for 23 years. Her award was for her services to gynaecology, to reproductive medicine and fertility research, and to the community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nandita P. Palshetkar</span> Indian gynaecologist and medical doctor

Nandita P. Palshetkar is an Indian Gynecologist who specializes in in vitro fertilisation and infertility. She is the elected president of Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India, in 2019. She is also the first vice president of Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 jeremy, rich (2012), Akyeampong, Emmanuel K; Gates, Henry Louis (eds.), "Gwet-Bell, Ernestine", Dictionary of African Biography, Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/acref/9780195382075.001.0001, ISBN   978-0-19-538207-5 , retrieved 2021-01-18
  2. Diarra, Abdoulaye (2012-12-26). "Dr Ernestine Gwet Bell, à l'origine du premier bébé né in vitro de l'Afrique centrale". INFO AFRIQUE (in French). Retrieved 2021-01-18.
  3. Kovacs, Gabor; Brinsden, Peter; DeCherney, Alan (2018-06-14). In-Vitro Fertilization: The Pioneers' History. Cambridge University Press. p. 245. ISBN   978-1-108-42785-2.
  4. "Au Cameroun, une clinique contre l'infertilité et ses stigmates". LEFIGARO (in French). 6 January 2020. Retrieved 2021-01-20.
  5. "L'Afrique, continent le plus touché par l'infertilité". Le Monde.fr (in French). 2016-03-18. Retrieved 2021-01-20.
  6. 1 2 3 Siewe, Alex (31 January 2005). "Ernestine Gwet-Bell".
  7. NSEUMI LÉA, FLORINE. "Procréation médicalement assistée: Les hommes stériles secourus".
  8. Marion Obam (29 August 2007). "Cameroon: Ernestine Gwet Bell, the mechanics of embryos" . allAfrica . Retrieved on March 13, 2018
  9. "Ernestine Gwet Bell". archive.wikiwix.com. Retrieved 2021-01-20.
  10. "Improving health of women and infants : Gynecologists to meet in Douala". www.cameroon-tribune.cm. Retrieved 2021-01-20.