ACHIEVING CONTROL OF ASTHMA IN CHILDREN IN AFRICA (ACACIA)

Asthma is a non-communicable disease with an increasing prevalence worldwide. It is the most common chronic condition in children. An estimated 10.7-13% of children aged 13-14 years suffer from asthma in Nigeria with about 13 million Nigerian suffering from asthma. Very little is known about asthma control in children in Africa.
ACACIA study is an observational study involving adult and paediatric Lung doctors in six African countries: Nigeria, Ghana, Malawi, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.
The primary objectives are:

1. To identify 3000 children aged between 12 years and 14 years with asthma symptoms
2. To assess their asthma control, current treatment, knowledge of and attitudes to asthma and
   barriers to achieving good control.

The secondary objective is to develop interventions addressing identified barriers to good symptom control, one of which is a drama. Each center will undertake screening to identify 500 school children with asthma symptoms using questions from the Global Asthma Network’s questionnaire. Children identified to have
asthma symptoms filled in a digital survey ( Core ACACIA questionnaire), including: Asthma Control Test, questions on medication usage and adherence, medical care, the Brief-Illness, Perception questionnaire and environmental factors. Exhaled nitric oxide testing, prebronchodilator and postbronchodilator spirometry were be performed. Over 10,000 students from 40 secondary schools( public and private) in Lagos were screened for asthma. More than 500 young people with asthma symptoms were detected who went on to
perform lung function tests ( exhaled Nitric oxide and Spirometry) and completed the core ACACIA questionnaire.
A subgroup of the children, parents, and teachers in the school visited also participated in focus group discussions. The results will be analyzed using descriptive statistics and comparative analysis. Informed by the preliminary results, a theatre-interventions has been developed and written by UK-based Nigerian actor Tunde Euba and directed by Prof Sola Fosudo of Drama and Theatre Department of LASU, OJO as a potential solution to improve asthma management and outcome. “In Control-Reloaded” . This theatre has been performed in 5 schools and 5 communities with about 800 participants. This followed COVID-19 protocol and there were interactive sessions.
workshop. pre and post-theatre questionnaires were also administered.