The Amaka Chiwuike‑Uba Foundation (ACUF) has warned that household air pollution and poverty are driving the rise of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) among Nigerians.
The Chairman of the ACUF Board, Prof. Chiwuike Uba, made the statement on Tuesday in Enugu, in commemoration of the 2025 World COPD Day.
World COPD Day, observed annually on the third Wednesday of November, is a global awareness initiative that highlights the burden of COPD, promotes prevention, and emphasizes the importance of early diagnosis and effective management. The event is organized by the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) in collaboration with healthcare professionals and patient groups worldwide. Its 2025 theme is “Short of Breath, Think COPD.”
Prof. Uba noted that poverty-driven reliance on biomass, firewood, and charcoal for cooking has made chronic respiratory illnesses a silent epidemic in Nigeria.
“With a baseline COPD prevalence of around nine per cent in a country of over 200 million people, more Nigerians are at risk than official estimates suggest,” he said.
He added that the similar prevalence between rural and urban areas challenges narratives that chronic respiratory disease is solely a result of urbanization or smoking. Instead, it reflects structural inequities in exposure to risk factors such as household air pollution and poverty.
“COPD in Nigeria is not only 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 risks. 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. Adult vaccination programmes, particularly for pneumonia and influenza, are weak or inconsistent, clinician training in COPD is often inadequate, and rehabilitation services remain sparse,” Uba said.
He urged governments, health donors, and agencies to prioritize awareness, research, and treatment of COPD at the national level.
“Without urgent action, the current nine per cent prevalence could escalate to about 30 per cent in the next 25 years,” he warned.
Uba stressed the importance of stronger public health efforts to elevate COPD in national consciousness, noting that gaps in national data undermine strategic planning by health and economic policymakers.
“Under-diagnosis is likely rampant, as limited availability of spirometry and trained personnel means many cases may go unrecognized 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—it will become a national priority,” he said.
