World Asthma Day Highlights Awareness & Care
Yesterday [May 6] Bermuda marked World Asthma Day, an annual event organized by the Global Initiative for Asthma to improve asthma awareness and care throughout the world.
An event was held at City Hall, with Open Airways giving away free spacers, free pillows or a microfiber cleaning cloth and free asthma education.
“80 countries around the world will celebrate this day in different ways,” said Minister of Health and Environment Trevor Moniz.
“I would like to commend Bermuda’s representative organization Open Airways who has sponsored and coordinated this event locally.
“Asthma is common, disabling, distressing and often misunderstood. But the good news is that it is treatable.
The Minister continued, “The prevalence of Asthma is escalating around the world and has reached epidemic level.
“In Bermuda, Asthma is the most common long term condition affecting over 9,000 people. 1 in 5 children and approximately 1 in 10 adults have asthma – this is one of the highest rates of asthma in the world.
“More people miss time from school or work due to asthma than any other disease….and more prescriptions are filled for asthma than any other disease.
“Additionally, poorly controlled asthma is a huge burden on health care costs. There were over 2000 visits to the Emergency Room for asthma last year – each of these visits could have been prevented…and each tells us we still have a lot of work to do.
“Open Airways’ theme for World Asthma Day this year is Why Wheeze when Asthma is Treatable? Too many people think they have to cough and wheeze every day because they have asthma. This is not true. Here in Bermuda we are lucky to have access to medications to control asthma – which are safe and effective.
“I would like to personally encourage everyone who has asthma to take control and learn how to manage your asthma. Learn more and breathe better.
“See your doctor, make an appointment with an asthma nurse and get a personal Asthma Action Plan. There’s no need to suffer with asthma.”
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