By Nafisat Makinde
As Nigeria commemorates World Asthma Day 2025 with the theme: “Make Inhaled Treatments Accessible for All”, the country faces the stark reality of 8,192 asthma-related deaths, accounting for 0.55% of total deaths, according to the World Health Organization’s 2020 data.
This translates to an age-adjusted death rate of 10.71 per 100,000 of the population, ranking Nigeria 58th globally in asthma-related deaths.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has taken comprehensive steps to address the burden of asthma in Nigeria, including:
- Waiving import tariff duties on essential pharmaceutical products to make inhaled treatments more affordable and accessible.
- Developing and implementing national policies under the Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) Control Programme to improve asthma control and management.
- Strengthening primary healthcare services to ensure early diagnosis, routine screening, and sustained management of asthma, particularly in underserved and rural communities.
These initiatives demonstrate the government’s commitment to reducing asthma’s impact and ensuring quality, affordable healthcare for all Nigerians.
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, emphasizes the importance of collaboration, calling on healthcare providers, pharmaceutical companies, civil society, and communities to work together to ensure breathing freely is a right, not a luxury, accessible to every Nigerian, everywhere.
