World COPD Day 2025: Foundation says household air pollution, poverty fueling chronic respiratory illnesses
The Amaka Chiwuike‑Uba Foundation (ACUF) says household air pollution and poverty fueling Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) among Nigerians.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a chronic, progressive and preventable respiratory illness which remains inadequately understood, under-diagnosed, and under-prioritised in public health policy discourse.
The Chairman of Board, ACUF, Prof. Chiwuike Uba, said this in a statement issued on Tuesday in Enugu in commemoration of the World COPD Day marked every Nov. 19.
Uba noted that due to poverty leading to heavy reliance on biomass, firewood and charcoal for cooking; the chronic respiratory illnesses had become a silent epidemic in the country.
According to him, with a baseline COPD prevalence of around 9 per cent, in a country of over 200 million; millions more Nigerians are at risk than official estimates suggest.
“The similar prevalence between rural and urban areas challenges narratives that chronic respiratory disease is solely a result of urbanisation or smoking; instead, it highlights structural inequities in exposure to risk, such as household air pollution and poverty.
“COPD in Nigeria is not solely a disease of city smokers; it is deeply rooted in widespread environmental exposures, including household air pollution, pervasive use of biomass fuel, and poverty-driven risk factors.
“There is approximately one respiratory specialist for every 2.3 million Nigerians, and fewer than 30 per cent of tertiary hospitals reportedly have spirometers for diagnosis.
“Vaccination programmes for adults, particularly for pneumonia and influenza, which are crucial in preventing COPD exacerbations, are weak or inconsistent.
“Clinician training in COPD is often inadequate, and rehabilitation services remain sparse,” he explained.
Uba called on the government at all levels, health donors and agencies to make awareness, research and treatment of COPD a national priority.
He noted that with the mentioned inadequacies in tackling the illness; suffers from COPD, which is now 9 per cent of the population, would escalate to about 30 per cent in the next 25 years.
The chairman said, “The Foundation is calling for stronger public health efforts to elevate the disease in national consciousness.
“This gap in forecasting capacity due to lack of up-to-date national data on COPD undermines long-term strategic planning by both health and economic policymakers.
“Under-diagnosis is likely rampant, as the limited availability of spirometry and trained personnel mean many cases may go unrecognised or misclassified as asthma or other respiratory illnesses.
“When we empower patients, strengthen health systems, and embrace governance reforms; the silent epidemic of COPD will no longer be invisible. Instead, it will become a national priority.”
