According to a recent study, millions of teenagers in Africa may be unaware that they have asthma as they have not been diagnosed by a doctor and are not getting the required medications.
The study's findings, which were published last week in the academic journal The Lancet, are crucial for a continent that hasn't provided much data regarding the prevalence of asthma despite it being one of the leading causes of chronic respiratory deaths there.
final item on the list Asthma, a lung condition that makes breathing difficult, usually begins in childhood or adolescence. As to the National Library of Medicine, which is a component of the US government, 76 million young adults globally were predicted to be affected by this condition in 2019.
hood, but scientists have found that medication can alleviate symptoms that frequently last far into adulthood. We now know the following reasons why children in some African nations may be suffering from a silent asthma epidemic:
In six African nations, 80% of people with severe asthma symptoms had not received a diagnosis from a medical professional.
20,000 youngsters between the ages of 12 and 14 who attended urban schools in Blantyre, Malawi; Durban, South Africa; Harare, Zimbabwe; Kampala, Uganda; Kumasi, Ghana; and Lagos, Nigeria, were the subject of the 2018–2021 study. Blantyre had the fewest students with asthma symptoms, whereas Durban had the most.
According to the survey, a third of students who had already been diagnosed with asthma and were exhibiting severe symptoms were not taking any medicine to manage their illness because they did not consider their condition to be significant and had adequate understanding about asthma treatments. The study's research manager, Gioia Mosler of QMUL, told Al Jazeera that adolescence is an especially fascinating period to examine. It is the period of life when asthma is most common. Additionally, it is during this time that many of our views about our bodies and health are formed, which we carry into adulthood.
The researchers stated that the varying conditions in each African city made it impossible to generalize the findings. However, Mosler pointed out that if their findings are generalized, it would indicate that 15 million teenagers in sub-Saharan Africa suffer from undiagnosed asthma symptoms. In order to identify which children were most likely to have asthma, researchers first used questionnaires and then performed more thorough lung function tests that are typically used for a clinical diagnosis of the condition.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 262 million people worldwide suffer from asthma, a chronic, frequently lifelong respiratory condition marked by acute airway inflammation and airflow restriction.
Africa may be home to about half of those impacted. The most current estimate dates back to 2010, when a 2013 study published in the US National Library of Medicine's archives estimated that 119 million people on the continent suffered from asthma. Dust, pollen, or particles from burning trash or other materials can all cause asthma. Breathing difficulties, wheezing, chest tightness, and coughing are common symptoms.
Severe asthma can be fatal, albeit this is uncommon. According to the WHO, the illness claimed the lives of almost 455,000 individuals in 2019, primarily in low- and middle-income nations. Despite investigations at the country level, mortality estimates in Africa are unclear. According to estimates, there are 19 asthma-related deaths for every 1,000 persons in Uganda each year. On the other hand, research show that Mexico has 10.41 deaths per 100,000 people. Although its precise causes are unknown, asthma may have a genetic component. Changes in the weather and air pollution are examples of environmental factors that are frequently associated to the development of asthma. The high prevalence of asthma in African cities has been attributed to the continent's increasing urbanization and pollution levels. emblem Continue Reading 00:01 03:36 At
Cities are home to at least two-thirds of the world's population. Nonetheless, Africa boasts the world's highest pace of urbanization, with large cities and small towns rising at a rate of 3.5 percent annually compared to an average of 1.8 percent. Although this creates economic opportunities, growing metropolitan areas also result in greater air pollution from concentrated energy consumption, vehicle exhaust, uncollected waste, and a variety of other asthma-triggering variables.
The Clean Air Fund states that in South Africa, a higher incidence of asthma is most likely linked to a higher prevalence of bronchitis. The country relies on polluting coal plants for its energy and has some of Africa's worst air pollution. Studies show that the climate crisis is also causing an increase in asthma cases. Due to global warming, experts warn that vulnerable youngsters may be exposed to more dust and wildfires, which are become more intense globally.
