Medical experts and health advocates have urged secondary school students in Lagos State to take deliberate steps to protect their lung health from childhood. They warned against exposure to smoking and air pollution and encouraged physical activity. The experts gave the advice at a training on Asthma and Lung health for secondary school students in Education District II Lagos state. The training was organized by EQUI-RESP-Africa in partnership with Centre for 21st Century Issues and Education District II, Lagos State.
The training focused on educating secondary school students on lung health and common respiratory diseases, including asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Professor Obianuju Ozoh of the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, and Co-Principal Investigator of the Equi-Resp Africa project, said the training was part of the project’s community engagement and stakeholder involvement activities. The goal is to bring equitable respiratory care to all. Ozoh said the programme was designed to help students understand their lungs and identify factors that could damage them.
Ozoh said the students were also being educated about asthma, which could affect people of all ages, including children, to help reduce the stigma and myths surrounding the condition. According to her, the students also need to understand how to protect themselves during asthma attacks, as well as how to support friends and others living with the condition. She said the programme was also raising awareness about COPD, which she described as the third leading cause of death in the world.
Ozoh noted that despite the impact of COPD, many people were not sufficiently aware of the disease. She said exposure to environmental triggers and smoking could contribute to COPD, stressing the importance of educating young people early enough to enable them to take preventive measures. She advised students to avoid smoking and exposure to air pollution and engage in physical activities that could protect their lungs and promote lung growth.
Titi Akosa, the Executive Director, Centre for 21st Century Issues, said the organisation was working with other partners as part of a consortium focused on COPD, asthma and respiratory health. Akosa said the initiative was not limited to students, adding that training had also been conducted for nurses, while plans were underway to engage the media and other stakeholders. She said one of the key objectives of the training was to equip students with basic knowledge of what to do when they encountered someone having an asthma attack.
Akosa also stressed the importance of equipping teachers with the knowledge, noting that they were close to students and could respond when an asthma attack occurred in school. She said about 20 private and public schools in Education Districts II were expected to participate in the programme, adding that there were plans to expand the initiative if additional funding was secured. Akosa also spoke on child rights and safeguarding, stressing the need for children, teachers and parents to understand the rights of children.
A respiratory physician and pulmonologist, Dr. Ayo Olagunju, said the key message for the students was that maintaining good lung health was a lifelong responsibility that should begin from childhood and continue into adulthood. Olagunju said students needed to understand important respiratory conditions, particularly asthma, which he described as a common condition that could affect lung health. He stressed the importance of adopting measures that would promote and protect lung health throughout life.
Key points
- Medical experts urge secondary school students to protect lung health from childhood.
- The training aimed to educate students on lung health and common respiratory diseases.
- Experts stress the importance of early action against asthma and COPD.
