Don’t suffer in silence; LASUTH raises awareness on asthma management

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The Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) has emphasised the need for increased public awareness of asthma symptoms and improved access to treatment, particularly inhaled medications, to better manage the condition and reduce its burden on individuals and families.

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According to Dr. Oluwafemi Ojo, Deputy Director of Clinical Services at LASUTH, asthma affects over 300 million people worldwide and accounts for more than 450,000 deaths annually. In Nigeria alone, over 20 million people live with the condition.

“To address the high cost and limited availability of inhalers, the Federal Government must create a conducive environment for local pharmaceutical companies to produce inhalers,” Ojo said. “This would reduce reliance on foreign exchange and lower production costs.”

Ojo also urged that inhalers be listed as essential medicines and included in the national health insurance scheme, especially for low-income earners, to improve accessibility.

He advised medical practitioners to shift away from relying on short-acting beta-2 agonists like salbutamol as primary treatment for asthma, noting that these drugs only offer temporary relief without addressing the underlying cause—inflammation.

“Globally, the trend is toward the use of inhaled corticosteroids, which target airway inflammation,” he explained. “Reducing inflammation significantly lowers the risk of asthma exacerbations.”

For further information on education, read more details here

The event featured an advocacy walk, free lung function screening, educational sessions on asthma and inhaler use, and engagement with community members. LASUTH’s Director of Pharmacy, Dr Oluwatoyin Ojo, emphasised the importance of combining reliever medications with inhaled corticosteroids to prevent avoidable asthma-related deaths.

“Our aim today is to advocate for better asthma care and accessibility,” Dr Oluwafemi Ojo said. “We’ve already conducted over 100 free lung function tests and distributed inhalers to some patients to initiate treatment and connect them to continued care at LASUTH.”

The World Health Organisation notes that asthma can be effectively managed with proper inhaled medication, allowing patients to lead active, healthy lives. Symptoms include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness—resulting from inflammation and narrowing of the lung’s small airways.

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