ISLAMABAD, May 6: About 10 per cent of the country’s population is suffering from asthma and the number is likely to increase to 20 or 25 per cent in the next 10 years.

This was stated by information minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad while quoting a survey by the Pakistan Chest Society at a seminar here on Tuesday.

The seminar was organized by Pakistan Allergy, Asthma, Immunology and Environment Health Foundation (PAAIEHF), in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and Global Initiative on Asthma (GINA), to mark the World Asthma Day.

The day is being celebrated across the world to raise awareness in the masses about asthma. Asthma is a chronic inflammatory lung disease characterised by recurrent breathing problems.

“Last year, 9.4 million people consulted doctors for asthma and the number is likely to increase 20 to 25 per cent in the next 10 years,” the minister said.

He attributed the increased rate of morbidity and mortality in the country to lack of awareness in use of inhalers and anti- inflammatory medicines in patients.

“My message for all of you is let every body breathe in a clean environment and let us play our roles for successful management of asthma and related allergies,” Mr Ahmad said.

The minister was particularly critical of lack of facilities in the Holy Family Hospital saying “two pregnant mothers are required to share the same bed there.”

Dr Anwar Naseem held environmental pollution responsible for the growth of the asthma and stressed the need for clean environment. Dr Sarfaraz Minhas, an environmentalist, criticized the idea of Capital Development Authority (CDA) that some trees were causing allergy and asthma.

He said the tree mafia was active to rob the city of its greenery for vested interests. Some trees growing on the Margalla Hills were chopped and smuggled to Afghanistan by this tree mafia, he maintained.

Dr Iftikhar Zahid of GINA explored various barriers like poverty, poor education, poor health and infrastructure in reducing the burden of asthma. Another barrier which he stressed most was the limited availability as well as use of medication.

Dr Asifa, a paediatrician, spoke on the paediatric asthma.

She revealed that if both father and mother were asthmatics then there were 50 per cent chances that they would have asthmatic children.

The PAAIEHF president, Dr Shahid Abbass, gave a presentation on the objectives and achievements of his organization. He deplored the over use of pesticides and self-medication and irrational use of medicines in the country.