Posted on: Thu 08-05-2025

Across Nigeria, the simple act of breathing remains a daily struggle for thousands living with asthma—a chronic respiratory condition that knows no boundaries of age, class, or geography. In dusty rural villages and bustling city streets alike, attacks can strike without warning, leaving patients gasping for air and families searching desperately for relief.

But the Federal Government is pledging to change this narrative.

In a bold declaration during the 2025 World Asthma Day commemoration in Abuja, the Minister of Health, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, reaffirmed the nation’s commitment to reducing the burden of asthma and ensuring that no Nigerian is denied access to life-saving inhaled treatments. This year’s theme, “Make Inhaled Treatments Accessible for All,” underscores a call for urgent action—and equitable change.

Asthma, though manageable, continues to claim lives. According to WHO data from 2020, over 8,000 Nigerians died from asthma-related complications. Yet behind each statistic lies a person—a child missing school days, a mother fearing her next attack, a father unable to afford an inhaler.

This stark reality is driving the government's renewed efforts. Prof. Pate outlined specific initiatives aimed at dismantling barriers to care, including:

Tariff waivers on essential inhaled medicines, reducing the cost burden for patients.

National policy implementation under the Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) Control Programme, focusing on asthma prevention, diagnosis, and sustained treatment.

Strengthening of Primary Healthcare Services, especially in hard-to-reach communities, to ensure asthma care begins where it's most needed.

Integration of NIG-PEN protocols—a framework that embeds early detection and long-term asthma management within everyday health services.

These interventions are part of a broader vision: the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, which champions Universal Health Coverage. The goal is clear—healthcare that reaches everyone, regardless of income or location.

But government action alone is not enough.

Prof. Pate emphasized the critical role of health workers, urging them to step up asthma education, early diagnosis, and the delivery of effective treatment. He also issued a passionate appeal to civil society, media professionals, and local communities: help amplify awareness, break the stigma, and build environments where asthma patients can live fully and breathe easily.

“Let us all work together to ensure that breathing freely is not a luxury,” the Minister declared, “but a right accessible to every Nigerian.”

For pharmaceutical companies and drug importers, the message was just as clear: utilize the government’s waivers and scale up production and availability of affordable inhalers.

In a country where many still consider inhalers a luxury, this could be the turning point—a moment where policy meets compassion, and promises translate into oxygen for those who need it most.

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