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India’s First Fusionless Scoliosis Surgery performed at Apollo Hospitals
BerokZindagi launched to urge effective management of asthma Campaign calls for increased awareness and dialogue on asthma and adoption of the right treatment to improve patient outcomes Call comes in light of the concern that up to 7 out of 10 patients in Chennai suffering from asthma do not use inhalation therapy Less than a quarter (15%) of people with asthma in Chennai have an action plan in place While pediatric asthma is on the rise in Chennai, in the adult age group men clearly outnumber women in having asthma.
Chennai, September 4, 2018:
#BerokZindagi– a multi-media awareness campaign with the aim to dispel myths and fears regarding asthma and encourage those affected by this condition to live a life without limits was launched in Chennai today. While striv ing to establish inhalation therapy as the smartest choice to combat the illness, this multi-channel initiative will also provide information & resources for both – people affected by asthma and healthcare professionals. This campaign that also aims to eliminate stigma around inhalation therapy and make it more socially acceptable will help foster further dialogue between patients and their physicians.
Asthma is a chronic (long term) disease usually characterized by airway inflammation and narrowing of the airways, which can vary over time. It is estimated that in Chennai local doctors on a daily basis see an average of around 40 patients suffering from asthma/respiratory diseases. Out of these a majority are men (60%) with the pediatric asth ma segment having seen a significant increase on a year on year basis (doctors reckon they see an estimated 25-30 new cases of children with asthma every month). Approximately, one third of Chennaaites will develop asthma at some time, mostly before the age of 20. On an average until date in 2018,
Chennai has seen a 5% increase in the nu mber of people suffering from asthma as compared to last year. Mean while while the number of patients using inh alation therapy has increased in the last few years, an estimated 20% of asthmatics discontinue inhaler use largely during their pre-teen and teenage years The reasons for the preval ence of asthma in Chennai include amongst othe rs air pollution attributed to the increase in air parti culate matt ers, smoking, incorrect treatment in children, sea sonal variations causing viral infections such as common flu and largely ignorance amongst parents.The per centa ge and volume of lung diseases, especially asthma have gone up in Tamil Nadu especially in Chennai.
This campaign that kicks off on September 15 follows a synergistic partnership with Priyanka Chopra – Bollywood’s global icon and an asthmatic herself to raise awareness about asthma along with helping address the stigma ass oc iated with this condition – one of the key factors responsible for patient anxiety, & denial, delayed diagnosis, and avoidance of inhaler use in public.
Said Dr Narasimhan, Consultant Pulmonologist at Apollo Hospital, Chennai,
“It is very significant to change the per ception towards Asthma and Inhalation Therapy. While inhalation trea tment can play a crucial role in reducing the impact of asthma on people’s lives, compliance is crucial.Inhaled medicines helps to deliver the drugs directly to the lungs. But we need patients to adopt the treatment as they are prescribed in order to get the full benefit. Inhalation therapy works to control asthma by preventing & relieving symptoms and reducing flare ups, but they will work if patients work in partnership with their GP and take them in the way they are prescribed. Expanding one’s kno wle dge on this conditions is vital as patients in Chennai stop using Inhalation therapy mid-way which makes it difficult to control the disease”
“It remains a fact that the number of people affected by asthma in Chennai has gone up and we need to do a lot more work in terms of education, prevention, management and treatment of patients. It therefore becomes imp erative to tackle the problem as early as possible and spread awareness on the correct and most effective way to handle it. It is broadly accepted that little or no adherence to the right treatment is a widespread issue amongst children in Chennai that is associated with poor health outcomes, resulting in unscheduled doctor visits and hosp italization. Inhalers are the best form of treatment as they deliver the medication directly to the lungs thereby requiring 20 times lesser dosage as compared to oral medication.
They hence have the least amount of side effects” said Dr. A. Balachander,
Consultant- Pediatrician, Dr Mehta Chi ldren’s Hospital & Child Care Center Said Nithya Balasubramanian, Vice President, Marketing-Respiratory, Cipla Ltd“Ongoing education is of paramount importance in chronic diseases like asthma. This is precisely where #Berok Zind agi enables patients to participate and have a more effective role in their own treatment, working together with doctors to achieve optimal inhaler use and disease control, thereby living life to the fullest. While encouraging an increased dialogue on the management of asthma, this campaign also directly resonates with our endeavor of enabling people with the condition to achieve more in their daily lives” According to WHO, between 15 and 20 mill ion people have Asthma in Indiaand the prevalence is high at 10% to 15% in 5–11-year-old children. Bero kZinda giaims to help millions breathe-free and is here to support asthmatics by encouraging them to opt for inhal ation thera py. Shying away from the condition will not improve quality of life, accepting it will do. Asthma can be contro lled with medicines, but without the appropriate treatment, it can lead to frequent attacks.
