The Nigerian Orthopedic Association (NOA) during its 40th annual general meeting and scientific conference in Asaba, Delta State, made a special appeal to the Federal Government
to prioritize funding for the treatment of spine diseases in the country, which is in a deteriorating state.
The guest speaker Professor Wale Sulaiman, who is an experienced spine surgeon based in the United States, stated that, so many Nigerians are presently suffering from numerous spinal cord diseases and that has constituted a public health concern particularly owing to the country’s growing aging population.
According to NOA, most people with degenerative spine disease manifest with symptoms including chronic and persistent neck or lower back pain with intermittent episodes of acute pain, which can last from a few days to months.
This common disease affects a wide range of persons with an age distribution that includes young adults, the middle-aged and the elderly.
According to the Nigerian Journal of Orthopedics and Trauma, low back pain (LBP) is one of the most frequently reported chronic health problems affecting the adult population in Nigeria and is the most prevalent musculoskeletal condition in orthopedics practice.
The Delta State Governor who was represented by the Director-General, Delta State Insurance Health Scheme, Dr. Ben Nkechika said that the very first step towards better healthcare in any community is getting the financing process right, which will catch the attention of the human resource and equipment required for effective healthcare service delivery.
According to the Chairman of the Nigeria Medical Association, Professor Mike Ogirima, the number of Orthopedic surgeons in the country are about 350, which is insufficient and requires addition to meet up with the country's vast population.
He added that many Nigerians do not have adequate income to access proper health care service thus resorting to patronizing orthodox medical healing which often time aggravates the condition.
