Chinenye Anuforo
Nigerians have been urged to address and treat cases of airways diseases as soon as they notice the symptoms rather than wait for the situation to deteriorate.
This advice was given during the commemoration of the 2018 World Asthma Day by GlaxoSmithKline Nigeria at Young Pharmacists Meeting held in Lagos.
In his remarks, the Medical Director, GSK Nigeria, Dr. ‘Laja Odunuga, said this year’s theme was a call to action for both patients and healthcare providers across the globe to join hands in addressing asthma.
He said healthcare providers should follow a guidelines-based approach in the diagnosis and management of asthma, while patients should use their inhaler medications as advised by their healthcare providers and keep following appointments.
According to him, appropriate use of inhalational medicine and regular visits to the doctor for follow up will significantly reduce the mortality and morbidity associated with Asthma.”
“The disease burden of Asthma is huge in Nigeria, with about 12.5 million Nigerians living with asthma and 235 million worldwide,” he said.
The World Health Organisation said people who have asthma usually have symptoms such as wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and coughing. Most asthma deaths occur in low and lower-middle income countries. Asthma is under-diagnosed and under-treated, creating a substantial burden to individuals and families and possibly restricting individuals’ activities for a lifetime.
The Marketing Director, GSK Nigeria, Kunle Oyelana, also provided insights to GSK’s commitment to the management of asthma in Nigeria.
he said as part of its advocacy activities, GSK Nigeria will continue to partner with healthcare providers and help ensure continuous update on the management of asthma.
He said: “We are proud to join people all over the world to mark the World Asthma Day as part of our commitment to improve the quality of human life by helping people to do more, feel better and live longer. As a responsible company, GSK will continue to identify with and play a leadership role in supporting asthma patients and their healthcare providers.
“We will continue to invest in partnerships to address knowledge gaps amongst HCPs and patients, address the problems of low awareness and adherence to inhaler medications in Nigeria. ”
Commending the efforts of GSK Nigeria, the National Chairman, Pharmacist Society of Nigeria-Young Pharmacist Group, Mr. Ekomobong Hanson, said “the group couldn’t be more proud of GSK for putting together the event to educate young pharmacists on the emerging trends in asthma management and the need to embrace good leadership and entrepreneurial skills.”