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Foundation decries struggles of families to care for asthmatic patients

Maureen Ikpeama4934 mins

A Non- Governmental Organization ,Amaka Chiwuike-Uba Foundation (ACUF) has decried the struggles of many Nigerian families in taking care of asthmatic patients within their households due to poor economic conditions.

The Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Foundation, Prof. Chiwuike Uba, made this known on Thursday in Enugu while speaking on high financial demand in managing asthma among families in the country.

Uba spoke in commemoration of the World Asthma Day held annually, every first Tuesday within the month of May, with the Theme “Access to Anti-inflammatory Inhalers for Everyone With Asthma, Still An Urgent Need.”

He noted that inhaled corticosteroids had become indispensable as the foundation of effective asthma care by targeting airway inflammation, these medications prevent attacks before they start, reduce hospital admissions, and risk of death.

According to him, even more effective are combination inhalers that pair corticosteroids with fast acting relievers, offering both immediate relief and long term control in a single device.

The chairman noted that access to these life-saving inhalers remained deeply unequal, and in Nigeria, “this inequality is inseparable from poverty”.

Uba, who is also a Professor of Applied Economics and Social Development, said significant proportion of Nigerians live below the poverty line, with millions surviving on incomes that barely cover daily needs.

He said that when economic reality is placed alongside the cost of asthma care, the scale of the crisis becomes stark.

“A basic reliever inhaler costs between ₦5,000 and ₦8,500. Inhaled corticosteroids may cost up to ₦35,000, while combination inhalers range from ₦34,500 to ₦70,000.

“With the national minimum wage at ₦70,000, and with many households earning far less, a single inhaler can consume, or even exceed, a family’s entire monthly income.

“For families living in poverty, this is not simply expensive. It is unattainable.

“The consequences are severe and far reaching. Families delay care, ration inhalers, or abandon treatment altogether,” he said.

The don added that many families resort to cheaper oral medications with harmful side effects.

“Others rely only on short acting relievers, treating symptoms while the disease quietly worsens.

“Poverty, in this context, is not just an economic condition. It is a driver of preventable illness and death,” he added.

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