Tomorrow is World Asthma Day

Dr Richard van Zyl-Smit - Head of the Lung Clinical Research Unit for UCT’s Lung Institute was Instudio to tell us more about Asthma and commemorating World Asthma Day, which is tomorrow. The day is a global annual awareness-raising event organized by the Global Initiative for Asthma and supported and endorsed in South Africa by the National Asthma Education Programme. This year’s theme is “You Can Control Your Asthma” with the sub-theme of “It’s Time to Control Asthma”.  The theme was chosen to emphasize that effective asthma treatments exist and, with proper diagnosis, education, and treatment, the great majority of asthma patients can achieve and maintain good control of their disease. When asthma is under control, patients can live full and active lives and can prevent emergency visits to the hospital. Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases in the world, affecting more than 300 million people world-wide. Asthma is characterized by symptoms such as breathlessness, wheezing, chest tightness and coughing.  However, asthma experts do know that with proper treatment most asthma patients can achieve good control of their disease. In South Africa, the National Asthma Education Campaign collaborates with an international body and is tasked with the responsibility to disseminate globally accepted asthma treatment guidelines and implement asthma related patient education. For more information visit your nearest hospital or clinic alternatively go to www.asthma.co.za or www.ginasthma.com alternatively contact the National Asthma Education Programme on 0861 asthma (278462).