The Amaka Chiwuike-Uba Foundation (ACUF) has called on government at all levels and stakeholders to cover the ever-widening gap in asthma treatment and management in Nigeria.
Founder of the foundation, Prof. Chiwuike Uba, made the call in a statement he issued on Tuesday in Enugu, on the 2025 World Asthma Day with the theme: “Make inhaled treatments accessible for all.”
Prof. Uba, who is a development economist, said that in Nigeria, asthma was becoming increasingly prevalent, with studies indicating general prevalence ranging from 5.12 percent to 14.7 percent, and some projections expecting the prevalence rate to rise even further by 2025.
He said that Africa was seeing a significant increase in asthma cases, with estimates ranging from one percent to 53 percent across various populations and age groups, with urbanisation and rising levels of air pollution remaining key drivers of this trend.
“Beyond the numbers are the heartbreaking stories of people silently struggling to breathe.
“These are children who miss school due to frequent asthma attacks, parents who must choose between feeding their families and buying medication, and elderly people in remote areas unable to access even basic healthcare.
“Their pain and resilience often go unnoticed, hidden beneath the surface of national statistics. These silent battles must be brought to light if we are to make lasting change,” he said.
According to him, the cost of managing asthma in Nigeria has skyrocketed, placing essential medications out of reach for the vast majority of patients.
Prof. Uba noted that a basic short-acting beta-agonist inhaler, commonly used to relieve acute asthma symptoms, now costs between ₦5,000 and ₦8,500, while inhaled corticosteroids, which are critical for long-term asthma control, are often unaffordable for many.
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“Combination inhalers that include both inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting beta-agonists, recommended for moderate to severe asthma, can range from ₦34,500 to ₦70,000 per unit.
“For context, Nigeria’s national minimum wage is ₦70,000 per month. Expecting a person to allocate an entire month’s salary or more on a single inhaler is not only unjust, it is inhumane.
“For clarity, these medications include examples such as salbutamol for SABA, budesonide or beclomethasone for ICS, and formoterol combined with ICS for combination therapies.
“These are not brands but standard pharmacological agents essential for effective asthma management,” he said.
The founder noted that the reasons behind this crisis are complex but not insurmountable, adding that the depreciation of the naira had made imported medicines significantly more expensive.
Prof. Uba also said that the exit of major pharmaceutical companies like GSK had further reduced market competition, creating scarcity and inflating prices.
He added that Nigeria’s heavy reliance on imported medications also exacerbates costs, with high operational expenses compounding the problem.
