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Experts Stress
on Creating Greater Awareness
Asthma is widely considered
an epidemic in the world today. Asthma is increasing at an alarmingly rate for
all age groups, regardless of race, income and region of the country. Dr. Ali
Bin Sarwar Zubairi, Assistant Professor Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
stated this at Signs, Symptoms and Care - a monthly health awareness programme,
at Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) on February 7, 2004.
Dr. Zubairi said that although
asthma often begins in childhood, anyone can develop asthma at any age. Asthma
is more common and more severe in large cities like Karachi. He said that we
do not know exactly what causes asthma to develop; however, we do know that
the disease is linked to both inherited factors (genetics) and environmental
factors, specially indoor and outdoor air pollutants and substances that set
off allergic reactions (allergens).
Dr. Zubairi in his address
stated that each person's asthma is different: "some individuals may be sensitive
to one allergen, others to a different one. Indoor allergens such as those produced
by house dust mites, cats, dogs and cockroaches; air pollution from road traffic
and other factors like life-style changes, dietary habits and cigarette smoking
both active and passive, account for the increase trend in asthma, he added."
Speaking on tobacco and
its effects on lungs, Dr. Mohammad Irfan, Consultant Pulmonologist at AKUH said
that tobacco is responsible for over 10,000 deaths in Pakistan every year. He
said that out of top 10 killers, seven are directly or indirectly associated
with smoking. By the year 2025, 10 million people are expected to die from this
addiction.
In his presentation, Dr.
Javed Husain, Consultant Pulmonologist and Critical Care specialist at AKUH
said that infectious diseases are the leading cause of death in the developing
world triggering 45% of all deaths and 55% of deaths in children through respiratory
infections including tuberculosis.
Dr. Husain in his address
also mentioned that TB was a major threat to the developing countries. "TB causes
more than two million deaths every year worldwide. Pakistan ranks sixth on the
list of countries with the maximum burden of TB. The incidence in Pakistan according
to WHO estimates is 171cases/100,000 people with 77/100000 new cases every year," he revealed
He was of the view that
adequate and prompt treatment is the best way to control the rapid spread of
TB. Some other methods to prevent TB spread are to cover the mouth when an affected
person coughs, sneezes or talks. The risk of transmission decreases rapidly
within the first two to four weeks of an adequate treatment regimen. He also
added that quarantine was not necessary.
The panelists, Dr. Fayyaz
Hussain, Prof. Javaid A. Khan and Dr. Nawal Salahuddin, gave explanation to
the queries of the audience, at the end of the programme.
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