A new foundation dedicated to respiratory health awareness and treatment access has been launched in Lagos State. The initiative, named The Ojumitunrayo Onaara Olufade Foundation, was unveiled on Saturday with the slogan "Free to Breathe." It was established in memory of the late Ojumitunrayo Onaara Olufade, whose death, according to family and associates, underscored the critical need for greater awareness and support for asthma and other respiratory diseases in Nigeria.
Foundation Goals and Activities
The foundation seeks to promote advocacy, provide medications, and support vulnerable patients living with chronic respiratory conditions. It plans to partner with primary healthcare centers to distribute medications and assist patients who struggle to afford treatment.
Expert Insights on Respiratory Disease Burden
Dr. Ayoola Olagunju, a respiratory physician at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), spoke at the launch. She described chronic respiratory diseases as leading health challenges globally and in Nigeria. "We have a high burden of chronic respiratory disease. There is misinformation, poor access to treatment, which worsens the burden," she stated. She explained that asthma causes inflamed and narrowed airways, making breathing difficult, triggered by dust, smoke, and allergens. "It's a disease that is very treatable, and nobody should lose their life to asthma. Asthma deaths are very preventable," she added. Dr. Olagunju welcomed the foundation, noting it could improve awareness, reduce stigma, and expand medicine access.
Family and Trustees' Statements
Demilade Olufade, a Board of Trustees member and brother of the deceased, said the foundation was created in honor of his sister, who passed away last year from asthma. He emphasized that the organization aims to deepen awareness of asthma, bronchitis, and lung cancer, while supporting treatment access for patients who struggle to afford medications.
Oyewale Odekhiran, Deputy Managing Director of Mulberry Partners Limited and a trustee, stated the foundation was established to immortalize Olufade, who lived with asthma. "We decided that what better way to immortalize her than setting up a foundation in her memory," he said. He noted that public awareness about asthma remains poor despite familiarity with the condition. The foundation intends to make May 16 a yearly awareness event and will begin outreach immediately by visiting primary healthcare centers in Ikeja and Oregun to donate medications.
Adebola Shobowale, the foundation's Legal Adviser and Trustee, remarked that Olufade's death might have been prevented with better awareness and emergency support systems.
