By Chioma Obinna
Medical expertshave expressed worry over the acute shortage of rheumatologists in Nigeria, disclosing that only 42 rheumatologists including those under training are serving over 200 million Nigerians.
The experts who gathered at the three-day conference of the West African Rheumatology with the theme: “Rheumatology in West Africa; The Journey so far’’, and organised by the Nigerian Society of Rheumatology, NSR, in Lagos last week said the number was abysmally low.
In the views of the Chief Medical Director of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, Prof. Adewale Oke, called on the few professionals to advance the cause of rheumatology and rewrite the narrative.
According to him, it is a challenge that needed to be surmounted as professionals.
Prof. Adewale Oke, LASUTH CMD
Represented by the Director of Clinical Services and Training, Dr Ibrahim Mustapha, who acknowledged that some of the diseases associated with rheumatology sometimes, prove difficult to diagnose said: “We require adequate training and knowledge to be able to identify these diseases. We cannot overemphasize the need to have more Rheumatologists around to assist with the identification and diagnosis to these cases. Close to 30 years after my studies, we probably have about 30 or 40 rheumatologists, I think that is a significantly low number of rheumatology for our growing 200 million populations.
Speaking, the President of African League of Association of Rheumatology, and a Consultant Rheumatologist in LASUTH, Prof. Femi Adelowo said rheumatology in Africa had expanded, adding that; “Rheumatology in West Africa has expanded, it scavenges every other speciality and there are more than 200 cases that come under rheumatology.
Adelowo who disclosed that they see between 32 and 35 cases of rheumatology-related problems every day in LASUTH and the Lagos University Teaching Hospital.
“Presently, we have 42 specialists all over the zone and this is a far cry from what we had for the past 15 years ago.
He explained that rheumatologists deal with autoimmune diseases adding that the disorder can actually occur in any organ in the body starting from the brain to other parts to the womb. “And one of the problems of most pregnancy loss is the autoimmune diseases.”
He expressed hope that the 42 trained rheumatologists would expand the speciality and closed the gaps in the knowledge of rheumatology.
Visiting Professor of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Cameroon, Dr. Marie Doualla, also stressed the need to improve on the shortage of Rheumatologists in Africa, saying that: “Shortage of rheumatologist is even more acute in Cameroon because, for a population of 20 million inhabitants, we have only 11 rheumatologists.
“In Nigeria, I heard that there are about 42 rheumatologists, for 200 million inhabitants, so the shortage is certain in the African settings and I think we have to do something about it. This will make the cure of musculoskeletal diseases more difficult and not readily accessible for patients.’’