Amaka Chiwuike-Uba Annual Asthma Conference

The Amaka Chiwuike-Uba Annual Asthma Conference has an overall objective to provide a platform/forum for all the critical stakeholders including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, respiratory therapists, pharmaceutical companies, and other allied health team members, the policy makers, and the general public to identify, brainstorm and share information on latest updates regarding asthma, asthma management and allergic and other respiratory diseases management. This Conference provides evidence based information on asthma, allergic diseases and other respiratory diseases, to increase awareness of these diseases, provide current disease management and patient education strategies and make actionable policy recommendations to the government on ways to improve the quality of lives of those suffering from the diseases.

 

1st Amaka Chiwuike-Uba Annual Asthma Conference

Background

The flagship annual asthma conference of the Foundation tagged the 1st Amaka Chiwuike-Uba Annual Asthma Conference held at Roban Hotels, Enugu on the 6th of July 2016 with the theme: Improving the quality of life of Nigerians: The role of timely and accurate diagnosis and management of asthma. The Conference was oragnised in collaboration with the Nigerian Medical Association, Nigerian Thoracic Society, Human Rights Volunteer Corps and the Knowledge and Policy Management Initiative and was chaired by Rt. Hon. Ghali Umar Na’abba (former Speaker, House of Representatives), and had in attendance H.E. Dr. Emmanuel E. Uduaghan, Minister for Health, Minister for Education and the Minister for Science and Technology. The Conference had over 350 participants and was reported in over 400 media outlets across the world.

The Conference featured presentations on Diagnosis and Management of Asthma by renowned Pulmonary Specialists--- Prof. Cajetan C. Onyedum and Dr. Ada Ayuk and a presentation from a human rights expert, Mr. Larry Oguego. The presentations were followed by a series of discussions and analyses by a select group of discussants/experts responded to the presentations from their own base of knowledge, experience and expertise.

Audience interaction was the final phase of the Conference, and involved a dedicated time for questions, reactions and comments from the floor. The presenters and discussants/experts responded to as many questions as time permitted.

Process Leading to the Conference

Several processes culminated in the Conference. They include the following:

1.      Visits to Schools in Enugu to educate the teachers and childcare givers on Asthma Management in Classroom.

2.      Phone-in Radio programme on Diagnosis and Management of Asthma.

3.      Free medical mission to two rural communities in Enugu for Diagnosis, provision of asthma drugs and training on management of asthma.

4.      A post-Conference review meeting will be held to evaluate the Conference and its processes. This evaluation will inform future actions for the                     implementation of the resolutions/action plans from the Conference.

 

 Achievements and Impact of the Conference

  • Awareness creation on the prevalence and causes of asthma. More than 90% of the Conference participants reported that the Conference highly impacted on their knowledge of asthma and various ways to manage asthma.

 

  •  Review and evaluation of the progresses and challenges in the diagnosis and management of asthma. In realization of the challenges in the diagnosis and management of asthma, ACUF in collaboration with the Nigerian Medical Association, Imo State branch is establishing the first Asthma Crisis Management Centre in Owerri. The Centre will be commissioned in 2018;

 

  •  Education and training to both those suffering from asthma and those in the position of managing asthma patients (health care providers, schools, etc) on various ways to manage asthma. More than 90% of Conference participants reported that the Conference impacted positively on the competence to manage asthma. In addition, over 84% of non-respiratory specialist doctors in attendance, agreed that there are needs and professional practice gaps amongst non-pulmonary specialists in the diagnosis and management of asthma;

 

  •  Diagnosis and provision of asthma medications and management equipment to those suffering from asthma. 100% of participants who identified themselves as suffering from asthma received free Peak Flow Meters. The Peak Flow Meters were donated to the Foundation by the GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Nigeria ; and

 

  • Articulation and submission of actionable policy recommendations to the government to promote improvement in facilities and human resources in Nigerian hospitals. More than 85% of the participants who are medical practitioners and heads of government ministries, departments and agencies reported that the conference recommendations on policy and alternatives have very high impact and applicable to health policy reforms.
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