Bermuda Student Asthma Registry Now Open
The 2024/25 Bermuda Student Asthma Registry is now open, with the Ministry of Health encouraging parents to register their children with asthma.
A Government spokesperson said, “The Minister of Health is encouraging parents to register their children who have asthma, on the 2024/25 Bermuda Student Asthma Registry.
“The registry is accessible online and provides local asthma healthcare providers as well as the ministries of Health and Education, the ability to track and ensure proper supports are in place for students with asthma.
“The registry is a collaborative effort of the Department of Education, the Department of Health, Bermuda Hospitals Board [BHB] – Asthma Education Centre and Open Airways, a Bermuda registered charity. The information provided is held as strictly confidential.”
Minister of Health Kim Wilson said, “The goal is to improve and assist students with asthma to have the healthiest year possible. Parents are asked to submit their information each September to ensure accuracy as the health, school and contact details of students can change. Registering annually also allows our asthma specialists to afford the most-up-to-date assessment of students with asthma.”
Asthma nurse Lindsay Bishop, Director of Education at Open Airways, said, “Students who have had asthma education and have discussed new guidelines with their doctors, have the best inhalers and are using optimal technique, should be able to participate in all school and sporting activities and should not need to be absent from school due to asthma.”
The Government spokesperson said, “The 2023/24 Student Asthma Registry has 630 students listed.”
Department of Health, Asthma School Nurse Debbie Barboza, who is also a nurse at Bermuda Hospital Board, Asthma & COPD Education Centre, said, “We expect this is approximately 70% of the actual total number of Bermuda students with asthma.
“An analysis of the 2023/24 information shows that there is still much work to be done to teach students, parents and teachers how to best keep students with asthma healthy.”
2023/24 Student Asthma Registry Results
- More than half [58%] of all students with asthma missed days off school. A student with controlled asthma should not miss any days off school.
- Approximately 7% of students with asthma were admitted to hospital in the year due to asthma.
- While 67% of students with asthma believed their asthma was ‘well-controlled’, 50% of those students missed days off school due to asthma, an indication that their asthma is not well-controlled.
- 33% of students were either using their spacer [a small asthma control device] incorrectly or did not have a spacer at all. Studies show that using a spacer helps the inhaled medication to work more effectively and efficiently with less side effects.
Nurse Barboza said, “Our collaborative team of health providers is working with the primary aim of ensuring every child with asthma receives the proper guidance and assistance they need to have a healthy and successful school year.”
The Government spokesperson said, “If your child has asthma, or you suspect they might, please add their information to the 2024/2025 Bermuda Student Asthma Registry today.
“For further information about the registry, contact Mary Ellen Ewles at mary@openairways.com.”
