KARACHI, May 29: The provincial minister for health and population welfare, Ehsan Ahmed, has said the morbidity and mortality rates resulting from the disorder of respiratory system can not be reduced unless the government initiates a crackdown on the powerful international mafia of tobacco industry.

“Unfortunately, the efforts to produce more revenues by the government are proving to be counter-productive for health of the people, particularly that of the poor. Unrestrained advertising of tobacco products in print and electronic media, including the hoarding on the main roads, is one of such examples,” he said, while speaking at a seminar, which was organized by the Pakistan Chest Society on the occasion of World Asthma Day, here on Wednesday.

“We will observe the Anti-tobacco Day on May 31, but it will be only a token exercise. The government has to do definitely more than what has been done in the past,” the minister stressed.

He said asthma has now become the commonest chronic disease in the industrialized countries and its prevalence was increasing throughout the world. “It affects people of all age groups, is often persistent and accounts for a large proportion of health-care spending and loss of working hours,” he observed.

Ehsan Ahmed said the guidelines for asthma therapy had now been introduced in many countries and practical application of these procedures in the day-to-day management of the disease would go a long way for better management of the ailment by decreasing the morbidity and mortality attached to the disease.

He attributed the situation to the indifference on part of people as well as the policy makers who despite being well-aware of the contributory factors have failed to prevent the ailment.

Ahsan Ahmed referred to a constant surge in tobacco consumption, saying that while people were increasingly getting aware of its hazards, yet they always desisted to discontinue the habit.

Chest specialists and health experts said that asthma — a complex chronic inflammatory disease — involved many inflammatory cells and mediators and in addition to bronchi constriction there were inflammatory effects on the airways.

It was maintained that smoking — both active and passive — closely followed by the deteriorating environmental conditions had emerged to be among the commonest causes for asthma in the country.

The speakers regretted that while the number of asthma patients in the country was estimated to be around 1.5 million to two million, yet the stigma attached to the condition leading to an inappropriate or delayed treatment was causing serious complications.

They said that after proper medication asthma patients could lead a normal life and actively participate in social chores, including strenuous activities.

Children due to their poor defence mechanism and weak immunity against allergen were said to be more prone to get inflicted with the ailment.

However, those babies who had been exclusively breast fed by their mothers for at least two months were registered to be little vulnerable to the disease.

Factors generally contributory to the disease across the globe were cited to be hereditary influence, modernization in lifestyle, increased application of perfumes, pesticide sprays, vehicular emissions, chemical fumes, besides exposure of children to excrete of cockroaches and other rodents.

Reiterating the need for public awareness about the disease, the medical experts advised the masses that conditions as persistent cough, wheezing and shortness of breath should not be ignored and a doctor be immediately consulted.

It was mentioned that many of the general practitioners also lacked proper understanding of the disease. However, to address the situation, the Pakistan Chest Society was to introduce a national clinical guidelines for asthma management.

Those who spoke on the occasion included Dr Ashraf Sadiq, director of the Ojha Institute; Dr Khurshid Zaman from Lahore; Dr Suhail Akhter, Baqai University; Dr Ali Zubairi, Dr Javed Khan and Dr Naseeruddin Mehmood, the Aga Khan University Hospital; Prof D.S. Akram and Prof Iqbal Memon from the Civil Hospital Karachi.—APP/PPI