Management of Asthma in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Nigerian Perspective
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Date
2008
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Pan African Thoracic Society
Abstract
Asthma is a very common respiratory disorder with
rising prevalence rates worldwide. The advances in
our understanding of its pathogenesis and introduc tion of new medications in its management have not
been of much benefit to most patients in Africa. This is
due to various complex and interrelated reasons such
as lack of proven diagnostic and monitoring facili ties, inadequate knowledge of current management
of asthma by doctors, poor compliance by patients,
use of traditional medicines of unproven efficacy,
fake/substandard drugs, and lack of locally designed
guidelines based on local resources. The solutions to
these problems require the full participation of all.
Governments need to provide the appropriate envi ronment for the care-givers and patients; on the other
hand the care-givers need to update themselves on
the current management of asthma, while the patients
need to take the treatment of their illness seriously
and also develop a strong management partnership
with their care-givers.