Almost one-in-three Irish children have asthma

ALMOST one-in-three children in Ireland has asthma, new figures show.

The findings of the Global Burden of Asthma, launched yesterday to mark World Asthma Day, show 29% of Irish children have asthma, the fourth-highest prevalence of childhood asthma in the world.

The figures have alarmed the Irish Asthma Society.

“We’re very shocked and we are very concerned about what needs to be done about it,” said the society’s chairperson, Angela Edghill.

Irish children miss 10 school days annually due to asthma and adults miss about 12 days from work according to the research.

Around 400,000 people in Ireland have asthma and studies show that 27% visited accident and emergency departments or made an emergency visit to a doctor in the past year.

The growing number of adults developing asthma for the first time is a growing concern. Ireland currently has the highest prevalence of asthma in Europe and it is still on the increase.

The Global Burden of Asthma was developed by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) and the World Health Organisation, to provide data on levels of asthma worldwide.

Consultant respiratory physician and chairman of the society’s medical committee, Dr Pat Manning, said they were anxious to ensure that cost-effective management approaches, proven to reduce the number of deaths from the disease, are available to as many people as possible.

Ms Edghill said almost 90% of asthma cases were mismanaged due to financial constraints and lack of understanding about the condition.

“Difficulties are caused because sufferers relieve the symptoms of asthma, rather than treat them because the inhalers are cheap and have an immediate effect.

“The problem is that people end up using them more and more and end up in hospital emergency departments,” she said.

The number of asthma attacks diagnosed by GPs in Britain and Ireland is now five times higher than it was 25 years ago.

For further information visit www.asthmasociety.ie or phone the asthma line at 1850 44 54 64.