World Lung Foundation Calls for Improved Capacity to Diagnose Asthma in Children
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Contact: Jorge Alday, Public Relations Manager
(New York)
– On World Asthma Day, World Lung Foundation
urged health ministries globally to improve
medical system capacity to diagnose asthma in
children under five years old. Asthma is the
most common chronic disease of childhood and
the leading cause of childhood school/day care
absences, emergency department visits, and
hospitalizations.
In developing
countries clinical staff often lack sufficient
training and tools to make an accurate
diagnosis. This lack of capacity is exacerbated
by the fact that asthma can be particularly
difficult to diagnose in small children since
symptoms such as coughing and wheezing can be
attributed to other illnesses. Health
ministries must train more health workers to
record, access and analyze patient and family
case histories, manage therapeutic trials,
administer tests for atopy and perform basic
chest x-rays.
The international theme
for World Asthma Day 2009, "Your Child's Asthma
Can Be Controlled" emphasizes the existing
options for managing the disease among children
under five. Once identified, the disease can be
controlled using medicine and home action plans
that help parents and children identify the
lifestyle and environmental triggers for asthma
attacks.
"In the vast majority cases,
asthma can be managed if affordable medicine is
available and if patients and their families
become aware of what they can do to prevent
attacks," said Peter Baldini, Chief Executive
Officer, World Lung Foundation. "The first step
requires public health systems to boost their
capacity to eliminate other respiratory
ailments and allergies to establish asthma as
the culprit in a given case."
# # #
About World Lung Foundation
World Lung Foundation was established in response to the global epidemic of lung disease, which kills 10 million people each year. The organization improves global lung health by improving local capacity to conduct research, develop public policy and deliver public health education. The organization's areas of emphasis are tobacco control, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, asthma, and child lung health. For more information, please visit worldlungfoundation.org