The Nigerian Thoracic Society has said that about 100 million Nigerians will suffer from asthma in 2025. According to the organisation, the country has 15 million sufferers from the lung disease out of over 400 million others believed to be suffering from asthma worldwide.

The President of the society, Professor Etete Peters, who said this on Tuesday during his address to mark the 2016 Asthma Day with the theme, “You can control your asthma,” opined that the NTS had formulated a National Asthma Guideline that would help avoid unnecessary and preventable deaths.

“It is typically characterised by recurring respiratory symptoms, such as coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightening. These symptoms are variable and can fluctuate for each individual over time.

“Despite the availability of different asthma drugs, a significant number of asthma patients are still suffering from asthma, while a sizeable number still dies from the disease.

“An estimated 75 per cent of hospital admissions for asthma and as many as 90 per cent of the deaths are avoidable. Nigeria has lost many gifted and illustrious sons and daughters prematurely due to asthma. This should not be so,” he said.

Peters, who is the Chief Medical Director, University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, said in Nigeria alone, about 15 million people might have asthma based on numerous studies and also with increasing urbanisation and adoption of Western lifestyle. He said that developing countries might have rising incidence of the disease.

PUNCH.