PROTOCOL
Nigeria
joined the rest of the world on every first Tuesday in the month of May, to
commemorate the World Asthma Day. The theme for this year’s event is “Asthma Education
Empowers” the day emphasizes the need to empower people living with
asthma with the appropriate knowledge and education to effectively manage their
condition and to recognize when to seek medical help. It is also a call on
health care professionals to increase their awareness and knowledge to prevent
and address common issues like misdiagnosis, underuse of anti-inflammatory
inhalers and reliance on short-acting medication associated with needless
morbidity and mortality, rather rely on evidence-bases strategies for its
optimal management, deliver informed guidance and treatment to their patients.
2. Asthma
is a chronic respiratory condition characterized by recurrent episode of airway
narrowing and obstruction, which reverses either spontaneously or after use of
medication, and is usually associated with hyper-responsiveness and
inflammation of the lower part of the airways. A person living with asthma may
experience tightness in the chest, wheezing, breathlessness, coughing,
increased mucus production. These symptoms are intermittent and are often worse
at night or during exercise. An asthmatic attack occurs when the symptoms
become severe which can begin suddenly and range from mild to life threatening.
3. Asthma
is one of the major Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) around the world. It is a
condition for which there is no cure available. In 2019, 3.2
million people died from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), while
0.5 million people died from asthma. The Global Burden of Disease Survey 2019
estimates that 262 million people are affected by asthma and 212 million by
COPD. In Nigeria, there are only hospital-based
data, currently there are no nationally representative data on asthma
prevalence.
4. Although, asthma cannot be cured, it is
possible to manage asthma to reduce and prevent asthmatic attacks. An asthmatic attack may occur when
the respiratory system is exposed to indoor or outdoor allergens. One major
step to controlling these attacks is for people living with asthma to recognize
what triggers their attack and in turn avoid them. Therefore, recognizing one’s
risk factors and avoiding them can go a long way in minimizing episodes and
frequency of the attack. Parents and caregivers should also be empowered with
the proper information on asthma to help guide and make sure their asthmatic
children and wards avoid such triggers as they may be unable to make informed
choices by themselves. Parents are to pay particular attention
to when symptoms occur: either at night or early morning, during or after
exercise, during certain seasons, laughing or crying.
5. The Federal Government
through the Federal Ministry of Health & Social Welfare (FMOH&SW) is
reiterating its commitment to advancing Asthma care by providing leadership for
the control and management of Asthma and other Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs)
by strategically eliminating the risk factors, improving the management of
these diseases as well as preventing their complications.
6. As
part of the policy and strategic interventions, the Government is focusing on
advocacy to various key stakeholders aimed at achieving sustainable and cost-effective
interventions to prevent and control Non-Communicable Diseases including
asthma. The Ministry’s strategic response in the prevention and control of
Non-Communicable Diseases is a multifaceted approach in collaboration with
relevant line Ministries, Department and Agencies of
Governments, Development Partners and Civil
Society Organizations (CSO).
7. The Federal Ministry of Health & Social Welfare has also
recognized that in order to advance Asthma care and strengthen the control of
Asthma and other NCDs, thereby reducing the burden of these diseases on the
health system as well as on national productivity and economy. There is need to
collectively engage relevant stakeholders in all the processes involved in the
planning, execution and monitoring of the Multi-Sectoral Action Plan for the
prevention, control and management of Non-Communicable Diseases. Consequently,
the Multi-Sectoral Action Plan on Non-Communicable Diseases has been launched,
with its coordination mechanism involving four expanded Technical Working Group
(TWG) inaugurated, consisting of stakeholders from different sectors to support
the implementation of the activities for the prevention, control and management
of asthma and other Non-Communicable Diseases in Nigeria.
8. Integration of Nigerian Package of Essential
Non-Communicable Diseases (N-PEN) prevention and control into the Primary
Health Care (PHC) services is also on going in FCT and hopefully this
intervention will be scaled up in PHCs nationwide. The integration encompasses
training and human capacity building of health care workers for effective
prevention, control, early diagnosis, prompt treatment and referral of cases to
next level of health care for effective intervention in order to avert
complications. Similarly, plans have reached advanced stage for the
implementation of PEN-PLUS in secondary health facilities in FCT.
10. It is also pertinent to note that ignorance was the reason why there is still high mortality rate of the disease in the country. We must all therefore strive to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with asthma and its complications by primary prevention to reduce the level of exposure to common risk factors.
Thank you and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
