Need for Increased Awareness On Asthma and Adoption of the Right Treatment

Bhopal: 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 Bhopal, local doctors on a daily basis see an average of around 40 patients suffering from asthma/respiratory diseases.

Need for Increased Awareness On Asthma and Adoption of the Right Treatment

The pediatric asthma segment has also 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). On an average until date in 2018, while Bhopal has seen a 25% increase in the number of people suffering from asthma as compared to last year, approximately, one third of population from Bhopal will develop asthma at some time, mostly before the age of 20. Meanwhile while the number of patients using inhalation therapy has increased in the last few years, an estimated 75% of asthmatics discontinue inhaler use.

The reasons for the prevalence of asthma in Bhopal include amongst others air pollution attributed to the increase in air particulate matters, pollen, smoking, food habit, nutritional deficiency, hereditary predisposition and largely ignorance amongst parents. The percentage and volume of lung diseases, especially asthma have gone up in Bhopal.

In light of the lack of awareness on Asthma and adoption of the right treatment to improve patient outcomes, #BerokZindagi – a multi-media awareness campaign is launched with the aim to dispel myths and fears regarding asthma and encourage those affected by this condition to live a life without limits. While striving 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.

This campaign 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 associated with this condition – one of the key factors responsible for patient anxiety, & denial, delayed diagnosis, and avoidance of inhaler use in public.