Experts call for urgent action on Asthma, COPD care deficit

Health experts have called for immediate, coordinated measures to tackle the growing prevalence of asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) in Nigeria, citing poor awareness, weak diagnostic capacity, and limited access to treatment as major drivers of poor outcomes.

The appeal came during a community engagement and training programme on asthma and COPD organised by EQUI-DESP Africa in partnership with the Centre for 21st Century Issues and the Lagos State Ministry of Health.

The event, themed “Management of Asthma and COPD for Primary Care Providers (Nurses)”, was held at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Professor Obianuju Ozo, a pulmonologist at the University of Lagos, described the programme as essential for strengthening frontline healthcare delivery through targeted nurse training.

She highlighted the alarming prevalence of respiratory diseases in the country, noting that asthma and COPD each affect roughly 9–10 percent of Nigerians.

An estimated 13 million people live with asthma alone, yet more than half of these cases remain undiagnosed, and over 90 percent are poorly controlled.

Ozo warned that COPD presents an even greater challenge due to extremely low awareness. “Only about six percent of Nigerians recognise the term COPD. A disease that is not recognised cannot be treated,” she said, emphasizing that COPD ranks as the third leading cause of death globally.

She identified critical barriers to effective care, including low public and professional awareness, lack of diagnostic tools such as spirometers and peak flow meters, and limited access to affordable inhalers.

“These diagnostic tools are largely unavailable at primary and secondary healthcare levels, and inhalers are either scarce or unaffordable. We need urgent interventions similar to those used to improve access to vaccines,” she stressed.

The pulmonologist, who is also a consultant at Lagos University Teaching Hospital, highlighted the pivotal role of nurses in Nigeria’s health system, especially amid rising healthcare workforce migration and the growing need for task shifting to maintain service delivery.