Society laments challenge in caring for allergy conditions

The Allergy and Clinical Immunology Society (ACIS) has lamented the difficulty encountered in caring for allergy conditions owing to the lack of training, access and cost of drugs.

ACIS Chairperson, Dr Olatunde Odusote, also decried the lack of awareness about allergy diseases and attributed the increase in these conditions to climate change and global warming.

Odusote disclosed this at a two-day World Allergy Training School (WATS) in Lagos organised by the Allergy and Clinical Immunology Society (ACIS) in partnership with World Allergy Organisation (WAO).

He emphasised the need to develop a curriculum to offer basic training to practitioners that can care for allergies at the primary level. Participants for the training cut across the various medical spectrum and lectures were on disease processes, necessary tests to run, and their interpretations.

One of the major problems we have had is that people think when one has allergy conditions, you must do a test, but it is not necessarily so. You need to listen to their story first and if there is a need for a test, you can go ahead,” he said

Odusote, who is also the founder and Clinical Team Lead, Asthma and Allergy Clinics, Lagos, stated that the organisation is focused on creating awareness and promoting advocacy, as well as empowering healthcare practitioners and the community with the right information.

He said that the exit of pharmaceutical firms like GSK has made access to some drugs difficult and costly. “Our society is in the forefront trying to create awareness, advocacy, and empower health care professionals,” Odusote added.

President, American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, Prof James Tracy, said the training would deal with a catalogue of allergies such as asthma, food allergy and practical training on how to treat severe allergic reactions. He noted that disease awareness, genetic component, and environmental pollution as possible causes of increased allergic conditions globally.

The training, the first in the West African region, had speakers from around the world like Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and the United States.