The project lead/principal investigator, EQUI-RESP Africa Project, Prof Jesse Uneke has said that the project will provide some critical equipment for the detection/diagnosis of some respiratory diseases in Ebonyi State.
Prof Uneke said that the equipment would be domesticated at the Institute Of Child Health, Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital Abakaliki, AEFUTHA and the Mother and Child Center (MCC), David Umahi Teaching Hospital Uburu.
Prof Uneke who is also the vice chancellor, David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences Uburu made the disclosure at the flag off of the EQUI-RESP Project hosted by DUFUHS Uburu in collaboration with the Institute Of Child Health, ICH, AEFUTHA.
He stated that the project would also provide free treatment to 1,000 respiratory disease patients across the six target health facilities in Ebonyi State within four years.
He maintained that the overview of the EQUI-RESP Africa Project, which stands for Improving Equity in Respiratory Disease Outcomes in Africa using Data-Driven Tools, is an intervention/implementation research project.
“It is well established that respiratory diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pneumonia in children and adults, asthma, and lung cancer, are all prevalent in Nigeria as in the remaining four target African countries.
“Although these respiratory diseases cause a very large burden of both acute and chronic morbidity, as well as mortality in Nigeria, there is limited health systems’ capacity for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
“Furthermore, there are large inequities in the outcomes of these diseases. They are worst among the poor, who do not have access to affordable and quality healthcare.”
He said that the project is multi-country and implemented in five African countries including Nigeria, Kenya, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, and South Africa adding that the funding support is from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) United Kingdom and coordinated by the University of Edinburgh, UK.
“The goal is to achieve demonstrable and equitable reductions in morbidity and mortality from respiratory diseases through improvements in interventions and policies derived from data-driven tools.
Prof Uneke stated that the project will be implemented in five health facilities in Ebonyi State, including ICH AEFUTHA, Primary Health Care Centre Nkwagu, Maternal and Child Health Center Okposhi Umuoghara, Maternal and Child Health Centre Unagboke Azugwu, and Mother and Child Centre (MCC) DUFUTH Uburu.
In her address, the director of the Institute of Child Health, AEFUTHA, Prof Thecla Ezeonu said that the project has brought to the ICH a brand new Spirometer for assessing lung function, a patient monitor for automated reading of the blood pressure, pulse and respiratory rate.
She stated that a stadiometer for measuring height and weight and a host of other necessary equipment had also been brought, adding that with the equipment, the hospital will be offering free lung function tests to individuals, especially children and adolescents, who have symptoms suggestive of Asthma and similar obstructive respiratory diseases.
