May 6, 2003	Tuesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 3, 1424

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ISLAMABAD May 5: The World Asthma Day will be observed in the country on Tuesday to create public awareness of the disease.

Health activists and doctors have stressed the need to disseminate knowledge about treatment and measures to control the disease.

Seminars, discussions and other activities will be held on the occasion.

Dr Rizwan, a chest specialist, told newsmen that recent data showed 19 per cent prevalence of asthma in children while 5 per cent in adults.

Changing lifestyles, house dust mites, pollution, smoking, industrial waste and change in dietary habits are responsible for the disease, he said, adding that patients could live a normal life if they received adequate treatment.

Both preventive medicines and relievers are required while management of the disease is also necessary as repeated attacks could damage lungs.

“The best form of medication is through inhalers as these are safer than tablets and syrups. A very small amount of medicine is released through inhalers and thus side-effects are negligible. These are safe for asthma management,” he observed.

Different international studies and statistics show that asthma has been a major public health concern in the world. The World Health Organization estimates that between 100 and 150 million people around the globe suffer from asthma and the number is on the rise, he said.

Worldwide deaths from the disease have reached over 180,000 annually and the economic costs associated with it are estimated to exceed those of TB and HIV/AIDS combined. Statistics show that in western Europe as a whole, asthma prevalence has doubled in ten years.

Dr Mohammad Waseem, who runs a clinic, said that people who suffer from cough, breathlessness, tightness of chest, and if there is recurrence of these symptoms, they should consult doctors to find it out whether they are asthmatic.”

“Asthma can be hereditary or may result from environmental pollution, indoor pollutants and household allergens, etc.,” he said.