Spirometry: coming of age in Africa
Africa is a continent of challenges. It is also a continent of positive change. It isn't easy getting up at 4 am to get ready for a day helping hundreds in a rural clinic. It isn't easy being the decision maker allocating resources to make key work possible, given the complex demands on government and corporate finances. My African experience tells me that there are yet many rivers to cross, but we are making progress together. For me, there is no job that is more rewarding than helping so many to achieve a higher quality of health, longer lives and greater confidence: seeing a child encumbered by debilitating asthma freed and living a healthy life, or a group of healthcare professionals inspired and using spirometry for the first time, making considerable change to the care they deliver. It takes a network of teams to make it happen. My professional life parallels the growth of spirometry and respiratory health in Africa, and in sharing, I want to give you an insight into this important part of African diagnostic healthcare.