Experts Warn Rheumatoid Arthritis May Increase Disabilities, Deaths

MEDICAL experts have raised alarm that the increasing prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis could stress medical services that are already struggling with a high burden of acute infectious illnesses and may lead to rise in disabilities and mortalities in Nigeria.

They made the call during a virtual media roundtable hosted by Pfizer Biopharmaceutical on the ‘ Prevalence and Social Burden of Rheumatoid Arthritis in Nigeria’ as well as enlightening the public about management of the disease to prevent progression.

A rheumatologist at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital ( LUTH), Dr. Uyiekpan Ima- Edomwonyi, said the disease, which affects the small joints of the hand, wrist and feet before affecting larger joints, if left untreated, could cause disability.

He said the disability could lead to loss of career and source of income, a problem in low- income settings.

For a subset of the population, jobs in Africa involve a level of manual labour and the resource- starved African states can afford only limited or no welfare support for disabled individuals, he added.