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One Third of World Asthma Patients in India

Posted on: Wednesday, 4 May 2005, 09:00 CDT

One third of world asthma patients in India

NEW DELHI, May 3 (Xinhua) -- India accounts for one third of the world's 115 million asthma patients - and environmental pollution and poor awareness are some of the reasons, warned doctors on World Asthma Day in New Delhi Tuesday.

The staggering numbers of cases that continue to rise are also a huge economic burden - 4 billion rupees by one estimate.

Pulmonologists and asthmatologists said the prevalence of pollen allergy, dust and mite allergy in an already polluted environment, and the growing pressures of urban living are fuelling the spurt in respiratory diseases in India.

With the number of people living in cities around the world projected to grow from 45 percent to 59 percent by 2035, asthma cases are bound to shoot up.

It is estimated that there may be an additional 100 million people with asthma by 2025.

Sajleena Maini, chairman of the Tobacco Control Foundation of India, said: "Increased consumption of tobacco and widespread misconceptions in asthma treatment come in the way of controlling the disease."

A recent survey by doctors in Hyderabad has shown that just 12 percent of asthma patients in India use effective medicines. The survey found around six percent of the patients in the age group of 0-18. Women were twice prone to asthma than men.

An expert said asthma has a serious repercussion on the country 's economy. One in three asthmatic children misses school every day. One in every four adults skips work in India and its adjoining countries. The loss totals to at least 15,000 work days a year.

Source: Xinhua News Agency - CEIS

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