Experts seek action on asthma, others
Health experts have called for action to address asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) , warning poor awareness, weak diagnostic capacity and limited access to treatment are worsening outcomes.
- By Adeola Ogunlade
Health experts have called for action to address asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) , warning poor awareness, weak diagnostic capacity and limited access to treatment are worsening outcomes.
This was the position at a community engagement and training organised by EQUI-DESP Africa in collaboration with Centre for 21st Century Issues and Lagos State Ministry of Health.
The event: “Management of Asthma and COPD for Primary Care Providers (Nurses)”, was held in Lagos.
Pulmonologist at University of Lagos, Prof Obianuju Ozo, described the programme as critical to strengthening frontline healthcare delivery, particularly through training of nurses.
Ozo, a consultant at Lagos University Teaching Hospital, noted the alarming prevalence of respiratory diseases in the country.
She noted that asthma and COPD each affect about nine–10 per cent of Nigerians, with an estimated 13 million people living with asthma alone. More than half of these cases, she said, remain undiagnosed, while over 90 per cent are poorly controlled.
She added that COPD poses an even greater challenge due to extremely low awareness levels.
“Only about six per cent of Nigerians recognise the term COPD. A disease that is not recognised cannot be treated,” she said, stressing COPD is the third leading cause of death globally.
She identified barriers to effective care,as poor public and professional awareness, lack of diagnostic tools, such as spirometers and peak flow meters, and limited access to affordable inhalers.
“These tools are unavailable and inhalers are either scarce or unaffordable. We need urgent interventions similar to those used to improve access to vaccines,” she added.
She further said nurses play a pivotal role in Nigeria’s health system, especially amid increasing healthcare workforce migration and the need for task shifting.
“Nurses are closer to the community and spend more time with patients. We cannot improve asthma and COPD care without equipping them to identify symptoms early and manage cases appropriately,” she said.
Also speaking, Director of Nursing Services at the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Shola Aketi, said the training was designed to strengthen nurses’ capacity to manage respiratory diseases and improve patient outcomes.
She noted that nurses account for about 60 percent of the healthcare workforce and are often the first point of contact for patients.
“This training is essential to dispel myths about asthma, improve understanding of its causes, and ensure early diagnosis and proper management,” she said.
Aketi further highlighted challenges such as inadequate equipment, workforce shortages and the migration of healthcare professionals, noting that task shifting and continuous training remain critical strategies for sustaining care delivery.
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She added that the state government is working to improve access to healthcare through initiatives such as mandatory health insurance and better resource allocation.
In her remarks, Executive Director of the Centre for 21st Century Issues, Ms Titilola Ngozi Akosa, said the programme is part of a broader effort to enhance community engagement and improve respiratory healthcare outcomes.
She explained that the initiative would extend beyond healthcare workers to include media, families and communities, with a focus on raising awareness, gathering feedback and influencing policy.
“We are training nurses as the first line of stakeholders, but we will also engage communities, young people and the media to ensure widespread understanding and better management of asthma and COPD,” she said.
Akosa added that the programme would involve ongoing community assessments, research and policy dialogue aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s response to respiratory diseases.
Participants at the event agreed that improving awareness, expanding access to diagnostic tools and ensuring affordable treatment are essential steps to tackling the growing burden of asthma and COPD in Nigeria.
