I had a faint idea of what asthma is until I had
my first attack,
in 1981 when i was earning deep in the night, when I was a student
in the University of Benin (Republic of Togo). I was rushed to
a "Pharmacie de Garde" where I was treated. I had my
second attack when i was attached at Obo Girls' Secondary School
in Nigeria. It was at Nnevi General Hospital when my case was
diagnosed as asthma in 1983. It was more prolonged and really
severe. Ever since then the attacks became more frequent. I tried
my drugs and from one to another. Those I can recall today are
Ventoline tablets, the Ventoline inhaler, Ephedrine, Franol.
My case grew into a kind of tragedy that there was no time i
moved from the house without a drug. I have also met very embarrassing
situations. I have visited hospitals in Nigeria, Togo (Hôpìtal
Bon Secours, C. H. U. Tokoin, Badou General Hospital etc) and
Ghana ( Aflao; Dzode, Ho, Achimota etc.). Out of desperation,
I did not only limit myself to orthodox treatment, i had to try
numerous traditional medicines. Somewhere along the line, I had
to give up my religious convictions as a Christian, and go into
a Psychic healing because i needed a cure very badly. At this
stage, things i went through were so odd to me that is still
pray today to God to forgive me and never allow me to recall
them. It might seem strange and unbelievable to medical doctors
that i did take six tablet of Franol at a go when one day i was
terribly choked. All empty spaces in my mind were filled with
the idea of committing suicide since i believed that that could
the surest way of getting treated. For almost a decade, I gave
up the hope of ever getting better and I took in good faith that
asthma is incurable. I also knew I have missed life when i gave
up teaching.
Despite my miserable existence I had to keep the rule of life
that you must keep on taking medicines when you are sick.
One day I
had to prepare a medicine taught me by a maternal uncle.
I began to take it. I
coughed out so much mucus, very yellowish substance. I could
see changes in my breathing and have pain reliefs from my ribs.
It definitively a miracle to me and from that moment, after the
five weeks, I took this medicine, I never had the attack again
since 1994. I thought later of getting back to the classroom
when one evening, sitting down under a tree it rang deep with
my conscience. Won't you show gratitude to God? Won't you think
of other asthmatics? Johnny, don't be selfish. Millions are still
suffering like you did. It was there that the idea came clear
to me that i must try to develop this medicine which i called
Asthfin A1.I began by talking about it to people. I also started
researching into many aspects of the medicine especially its
lifespan and possibility of large scale production. People began
to show interest in i including foreigners who were willing to
take. I have here some few name to mention though I have not
received any concrete feedback from them.
We have
Miss Erin Healy, 815 south 48th st., Philadelphia PA 19143
USA
Miss Alexandria Candia, 21901 Mt. Eden Rd, Saratoga CA
95070 USA
Mrs Yabaa Marlene Ceder, International Managing Director,
International Foundation for Black and Migrant Women Empowerment
(Uma Lampé) P.O.B. 1100 AW Amsterdam NL
My German friend Karen Hinze, Emsener Weg 8, 21629 Neu
Wulmshof D, can also give valuable information on my research.
Especially my friend Luciano Ghersi www.hypertextile.net
who as offered to put my project on the Internet for me.
I have also received a letter of support for the project
from the Ketu District Assembly, P.O.B. 88 Denu V/R Ghana, dated
may 29 2000 with REF. Nr KUDA/GEN.24/Vol.5/210
The World Health Organisation has also acknowledged the
project with REF. Nr. CRA dated February 22, 2000 and signed
Dr. N. Khaltaer, Responsible Officer, Chronic Respiratory Diseases
and Arthritis, Non Communicable Disease Management. World Health
Organisation CH 1211 Geneva 27 CH.
A publication on the religious magazine "Awake!",
June 8 1999 issue, entitled "Asthma on the Rise""
has sensitised me further to undertake the project more seriously,
and I quote: "Reports from the World Health Organisation
indicate that in the last decade, there has been a 40% (percent)
rise in both the prevalence of an hospitalisation rates for asthma
worldwide.... Presently there are about 1,5 million asthmatics
in Canada and 500 die every year from the disease."
To control
the disease, I believe, must be of a collective concern, responsibility
and commitment of all,
irrespective of where the best solution comes from, that is why
i want to draw the attention of the following specialists in
asthma medication to my finding.
- Sally Wenzel MD, Ass. Professor
at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Denver
- Susan Pingleton MD, Director
of Pulmonary and Critical Care Division at the University of
Kansas Medical Centre in Kansas City
- Dr Anna Kathryn Fuchs PD, a
nutritionist in Sebastopol, California and Editor of "Woman
Health Letter".
- Dr Marianne Frieri MD, Ph D,
Associate Professor of Medicine and Pathology at the State University
of New York.
- Mary Malinsky RN Allergy Associates
in Portland, <Oregon.
- Mary Pullig Schatz MD, a pathologist
in Nashville, author of "Back care basic".
- Dr Martin Leon, Senior cardiologist,
Lennox Hill Hospital, New York.
- Dr Gerald Rubin, Director of
the University of California, Berkeley, fly laboratory.
- Dr Jean Charles Schwartz of
INSERM (France National Institute for Health and Research) and
his medical team; who after the discovery of anti-histamine drugs
H, H2, and H3 receptor, have promised an effective treatment
of asthma lulled from "Winning control of Allergy Switch"
South magazine; October 1987 page 81.
The promise is
already fulfilled here with the discovery of Asthfin A1,
which is doing very well on our local market which i have already
submitted to the centre for Scientific research into Plant medicine;
POB 72 Akwampira Mampong E/R Ghana on Octobre 1, 2002, with the
financial support of Prof. John B. K. Aheti, School of Administration,
University of Ghana, Legon (Ghana).
What is facing asthmatics today is not finding an effective cure
but getting the necessary funding to develop Asthfin A1, a drug
which cures the disease completely.
If Asthmatics, Asthmatics Societies worldwide, Philanthropists,
Pharmaceutical Companies, NGO, Medical Schools, Medical research
centres, London School of Tropical Medicine, National Jewish
centre for Immunology and respiratory Medicine, Philip Foundation,
Africa First, Bill and Merinda Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation,
Ford Foundation, Brush Foundation, Compton Foundation Inc., Ashoka
etc. could show sympathy to themselves and asthmatics by helping
me financially, Asthma will cease to be a headache to humanity.
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Johnny Amenuvegbe |