10 million Nigerians suffer from Asthma, says Expert

10 million Nigerians suffer from Asthma, says Expert

According to Gregory Erhabor, Consultant Pulmonologist, Obafemi
Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, Osun, more than 10
million Nigerians were suffering from asthma.

Erhabor, Managing Director, Asthma and Chest Care Foundation,
Ile-Ife, gave the figure in an interview in Lagos were he disclosed
that 500,000 patients died annually, globally, due to the disease. He
also said that Nigeria had not done much in the area of research.
"In the area of research, we are still not where we should be, but
notwithstanding, we are able to understand the cause of asthma and how
to control it.
"One of the challenges is that, many people do not know how to
prevent the ailment. "That is why the foundation is trying to make the
awareness for patients to know the symptoms of the disease and study
them.
"The Asthma and Chest Care Foundation gives out free drugs to asthma
patients so that could be able to know how to control the ailment.

"Some of these drugs are not affordable and quite a number of them are
not available in the country. "We want a situation in which the
government will bring the drugs down to the level of common asthmatic
patients.