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| Asthma
cases up by 50 % in last 10 years
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Over
10 % of Pakistan's population is affected
"Asthma cases have risen 50 percent worldwide in the last 10
years and in Pakistan up to 10 percent of the population are estimated
to be suffering from this condition." This was stated by Dr.
Ali Bin Sarwar Zubairi, Assistant Professor, Pulmonary and Critical
Care Medicine at Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH). He was speaking
at a seminar on "Latest Advancements in Management of Asthma"
held under the aegis of AKUH's 'Signs, Symptoms and Care' Programme
at the University. He also revealed that according to a recent international
survey approximately 300 million people worldwide have asthma, while
cases are on the increase in Pakistan.
Dr. Zubairi said that asthma often begins in childhood, it can be
contracted at any age, and that the condition is more common and more
severe in large cities like Karachi. He further explained that the
disease is caused by a combination of inherited and environmental
factors, which include 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. Dispelling certain
misconceptions, Dr. Zubairi declared that inhalers are the safest
method of delivery of medicines to asthma patients.
In the question-and answer session that followed, Dr. Javed Ahmed
Khan, Consultant Pulmonologist and Head, Section of Pulmonary and
Critical Care Medicine at AKUH, reiterated that tobacco is responsible
for over 100,000 deaths in Pakistan every year. Citing a WHO report,
he disclosed that seven out of ten major causes of death globally
are directly or indirectly associated with smoking.
Responding to a question, Dr. Ahmed Suleman Haque, Assistant Professor
and Consultant Chest Physician, said that asthma is one of the manifestations
of respiratory allergic reaction, and a patient may suffer from breathing
difficulty, wheezing or cough. He informed that a permanent cure for
asthma is not currently available, but with proper medication usage
patients can live a normal life.
Dr. Nisar Rao, Lecturer in Pulmonology at AKUH, responding to another
question, stated that asthma cannot be contracted by personal contact
or sharing of utensils. He urged doctors to educate their respective
patients in order to provide maximum awareness of asthma and its management.
As part of its outreach programme and societal commitment to creating
awareness of early diagnosis and timely treatment, AKUH has organised
over 200 'Signs, Symptoms and Care' programmes in Karachi, Hyderabad
and the UAE, benefiting more than 40,000 people. Similarly, Aga Khan
University Hospital's Patient Welfare Programme offers financial assistance
to those patients who are unable to afford the medical cost of treatment.
In 2005, 74 per cent of all patients treated at AKUH were from low-
to-middle income groups. Since the inception of this welfare programme
in 1986, over Rs. 1.4 billion has been disbursed to more than 250,000
needy patients.
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