IMMEDIATE past Governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan has called for awareness campaign to be stepped up for people to know how to avoid Asthma disease.
Dr Uduaghan made the call on Thursday (06/07/2017) while delivering the opening remarks at the 1st Amaka Chiwuike-Uba Annual Asthma Conference with the theme "Improving the quality of life of Nigerians: The Role of Timely and Accurate Diagnosis and Management of Asthma" at Enugu.
The former governor decried lack of adequate awareness among the people about the
disease which he observed has caused so many deaths globally.
“We are very much aware of the impact of Asthma on some families,” he said, disclosing, “over 300 million people are suffering from the disease globally while over 15 million Nigerians are living with the disease.
He continued, “I am glad that stakeholders are creating awareness on Asthma but there is the need to expand the reach, we need to step up advocacy and information sharing, especially at the primary and secondary health care levels for our people to know what to do against Asthma attacks.”
Uduaghan who expressed happiness with the Amaka Chiwuike-Uba Foundation for championing awareness against Asthma prevalence in Nigeria decried inadequate government attention towards the disease.
"I have been in and out of government as a former Commissioner for Health and as a former Governor, but I can tell you categorically that Asthma is not one of the illnessess that states pay attention to; there is no state government that has programmes for Asthma," he said, emphasizing, "I believe that every illness has a primary side and a secondary side and in dealing with the primary side of any illness is largely based on taking actions that are preventive."
The Governor who was accompanied by some personalities from Delta State reiterated, "we must deepen our advocacy against Asthma because am sure if people know what to do, we might have less deaths from Asthma; yes, we might be involved in research or treatment but the most important thing is advocacy campaign to educate our people especially our rural people to know that Asthma is not about witchcraft or spiritual attack but a disease that is not infectious.
"If people knows what to do before help comes, we will have less deaths from Asthma attacks."
He urged the Foundation to ensure that results from researches carried out will be implemented, observing, "unfirtunately, we carry out a lot of research in this country, but what do we do with the outcomes?"
Earlier, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Amaka Chiwuike-Uba Foundation, Mr Chiwuike Uba while welcoming guests to the conference, said the annual conference was established to carry out research, education, training and advocacy against Asthma in memory of his late wife Amaka Chiwuike-Uba who died of the disease in 2016.
The former governor was accompanied to the conference by Member representing Ughelli South Constituency in the Delta State House of Assembly, Comrade Reuben Izeze, former Commissioners, Hon Ben Igbakpa, Hon Funkekeme Solomon, Pharm. & Dr Mrs Patrick Ferife; Barr. Omonemu Edewor Tony; Barr. Powell Tos Ojogho among others.
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