By Ayobami Ife, Abeokuta
A Rheumatologist, Professor Segun Oguntona, has appealed to State and Federal Government to support patients suffering from rheumatological diseases (autoimmune conditions) by lessening their burden of paying for expensive treatment out of personal pocket.
Oguntona said that autoimmune diseases represent a significant health burden and affect about 3 to 9% of the general population, citing type 1 diabetes milletus, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, systemic lupus erythematous among others as examples of the conditions afflicting many.
The Professor revealed that a dose of the group of drugs( Biologics) used for managing rheumatology cases cost over N500,000, saying as the drugs are administered every two weeks, many patients have been unable to foot the medical bill.
He made the appeal as part of his recommendations while delivering 122nd Inaugural lecture of the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) Ago-Iwoye, titled, ‘Joint diseases and internal organ complications: unmasking immune tolerance breakdown as the culprit’ on Tuesday.
The physician who further revealed that he had spent over 20 years managing patients of autoimmune conditions, said the situation is made worse by the fact that people with health insurance coverage in Nigeria could not benefit from these Biologics because health insurance does not cover them due to the huge cost involved.
He urged the Government to look into the autoimmune conditions of medicine practice and accord it same priority it attached to malaria and communicable diseases like Tuberculosis (TB) and AIDS.
The don also called on National Health Insurance Scheme to extend its insurance cover to medications used in (managing) these diseases as it is difficult to pay out pocket by many patients.
He said, “The management of most rheumatology cases is expensive with use of a group of drugs called Biologics. Biologics are the most expensive drugs and they are the lifesaving medications for patients with autoimmune conditions.
“The outcome of most these is relatively good in the Asian countries compared with what we see in this part of the world because of free medical treatment they enjoy as against patients paying out of pockets in a country like Nigeria.
“People with health insurance coverage could not benefit from these Biologics due to the fact that health insurance does not cover them because of their cost. One could imagine a dose of biologic drug costing over half a million, repeat the treatment in two weeks and the drugs are repeated as at when necessary, again.
“How many people could afford this? Autoimmune disease is not a respecter of social strata/class, as it affects the rich, so also it affects the poor.”
“Since funding is the main problem denying our patients with autoimmune conditions to receive best medical care, I would suggest that the Government should also look into this field of medicine and accord it same priority attached to malaria and communicable diseases like Tuberculosis (TB) and AIDS.
“I would also advocate that advocate that the National Health Insurance Scheme should cover medications used in (managing) these diseases as it is difficult to pay out pocket by many patients.”
