While I was Away....

I've missed my readers on this blog for some months. It has been a very eventful period since April 2015 when my last post was made. There have been new developments in Africa regarding the practice of Forensic Medicine and how Africa engages in addressing certain challenges on the continent and beyond with forensic knowledge and skills. Earlier this year, in the first week of March 2015, African practitioners gathered in Nairobi under the auspices of the African Society of Forensic Medicine (ASFM) for the annual forensic conference to discuss the theme: Forensic Management of Violence in Africa. Sub-themes included Management of Terrorism and Armed Conflict, Management of Sexual and Gender Based Violence and Interpersonal Violence and Injury Interpretation. Stakeholders like UN Women, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and other stakeholders were in attendance to contribute in charting a way forward towards reducing the scourge of violence in Africa especially with the upsurge in armed conflict and terrorism. Incidentally, where there is armed conflict or terrorism, sexual and gender based violence increases. The case of the Chibok girls abducted by the marauding Boko Haram terrorists in Nigeria underscores the unfortunate nexus. Practical discussions were held on modalities of managing violence and the urgent need for nation states in Africa to adopt standard protocol that will guide practitioners in offering appropriate services. Emphasis was also placed on the urgent need for infrastructural and human capital development in forensic medicine and science in Africa.

Towards addressing great human distress associated with unidentified bodies following disasters, some of which are precipitated by violence, a dedicated team of African volunteers who could be deployed at short notice to assist communities plagued by mass causalities was inaugurated. The team named DVI Team Africa is the first of its kind in Africa and volunteers are mainly practitioners in forensic medicine and science. It will be easier to mobilize much needed support to assist in disaster management in any parts of Africa where such assistance is needed. The team could also contribute to international disaster management beyond Africa, when such involvement required. It is commendable that African practitioners are stepping up to being part of the solution to a complex and pervasive problem on the continent.

Meanwhile, many events of forensic relevance have taken place during this "leave of absence" period. There was a focus on the unregulated fertility practice in Nigeria, an alarm I had raised in my earlier blogs. An investigative journalist unraveled just a portion of this sordid story in the second week of August under the title: Ovum trading: Inside Nigeria's multi-million naira human egg business. I will be writing more on this and other issues in subsequent posts.

Finally, I wouldn't want to be away for a long time like in this case. However, work situation and exigencies sometime conspire to attenuate our commitment to other important issues. Working on maintaining a delicate balance is a continuous effort. And thanks for staying with this blog. Your comments will be invaluable to gaining more understanding about what happens around us in our different points of view.