Former Minister for Education and presidential candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) in the 2019 general elections, Dr Oby Ezekwesili, is among the experts expected to present papers at the 2019 Amaka Chiwuike-Uba Foundation (ACUF) annual national asthma conference holding at the Oaklands hotel in Enugu on July 18, this year.
Others include, former Minister for Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, who is also Chairman of the conference, a renowned public policy expert, Prof. Tunji Olaopa, a Consultant Public Health Physician, Prof. Benjamin Uzochukwu, Consultant Respirator and Chest Physician, Prof. Gregory Efosa Emerhbor, an administrator and health professional, Prof. Rowland Ndoma-Egba, among other national and international experts.
In a statement to the media Sunday in Enugu, Board Chairman of ACUF, Dr Chiwuike Uba, said that the conference is expected to Xray the linkages between the environment and governance and its impacts on health management as well as make policy recommendations on ways to ‘deal’ with the identified challenges.
He revealed that the theme of the conference, “Better Breathing, Better Living: The Role of the Environment and Governance” is unique and coming at the right time, because “we are faced with challenges ranging from being rated as one the most polluted countries in the word to a country grappling with a lot of problems associated with other governance issues”.
Uba further revealed that collaborators like Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Nigerian Thoracic Society (NTS), the Knowledge and Policy Management Initiative (KAPOMI) and Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) Alliance, Nigeria are partners in the conference, even as he said that the choice of keynote and experts for the conference is “based on their passion for good governance, inclusiveness, access to quality and affordable healthcare and their expertise in the areas they would be speaking on”.
“The Annual Conference is a platform to discuss national issues, especially health and related matters in an evidenced-based approach. The workshop provides policy alternatives and action plan on how to solve the identified challenges, because most diseases are associated with environmental and governance issues. Therefore, the 2019 conference will look at issues related to our environmental governance and other governance issues, as they affect the health management in Nigeria.
“Governance is core to a sustainable environment and development. We recognise that Nigeria’s economy will be improved if people live a healthy life with a guaranteed access to quality and affordable health care. So, for a conference of this nature, you need people who have passion and genuinely working for the progress, prosperity and renaissance of our dear country, Nigeria. All the speakers, like Prof. Chukwu, Dr Ezekwesili,profs Olaopa, Emerhbor, Uzochukwu, Ndoma-Egba, Dr. Adaeze Ayuk, Larry Oguego, Ademola Henry Adugun and others are all known authorities in their areas of specialities,” he said.
ACUF was founded in 2016, in memory of Mrs. Amaka Chiwuike-Uba, who died of asthma exacerbation on July 4, 2016.
The Foundation, currently governed by a 4-member Board of Trustees dedicated to improving the quality of life of people; especially, those with asthma allergy, has since held many sensitization workshops and enlightenment programmes across the country and has been carrying out its activities through research, education, networking and advocacy, even as the Foundation appeals for support to sustain its activities.
