World Asthma Day on May 2:

Health Ministry should pay attention to spread of Asthma

E. WEERAPPERUMA

COLOMBO: The Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry should give equal attention to asthma, the virulent and widely spreading disease.

In Sri Lanka, more than one million persons of all age levels suffer from this disease for which no medicine has been found for permanent cure, Dr. Kirthi Gunasekera, Consultant, Chest Physician, Central Chest Clinic Colombo, said.

He was speaking at health seminar for the media to announce the `World Asthma Day May 2' on the theme `Unmet Needs of Asthma' at the Galle Face Hotel Colombo on Wednesday.

Dr. Gunasekera said at the rate the disease is spreading, by 2025 the world would have more than five to six times of the present 300 million patients.

Referring to the money allocated by the Health Ministry, Dr. Gunasekera regretted to note that what was allocated was less than five per cent for the treatment of Asthma from the allocation for the Health Ministry from the National Budget.

"Asthma is one of the most common chronic disorders in the world. It is more common among children and adults. In many parts of the world, persons with asthma do not have access to basic asthma medications.

Some claimed that asthma can be cured permanently. People should not get deceived by such claims. No amount of money can cure a person from it permanently. This is a myth," he said.

Dr. Gunasekera said the theme for the year was very appropriate where Sri Lanka was concerned as there were resources that health services could not still provide to the poor rural masses specially at night seeking relief.

There had been a rapid growth and around 300 million people of all ages over the world and different ethnic groups suffering from Asthma.

"One child from every 10 children and one adult from every seven persons suffer from this disease. Over 180,000 people die in the world per annum and it is a major health problem both in the developed and developing world," he said.

When asked whether there was any possibility of preventing passing the ailment from the patients to the children with the conception of new life, the Doctor said that, that was the current thinking in the Health World and the issue was under critical study. Infrastructure facilities available to rural poor like those from the Uva province, he said they were inadequate and no sufficient funds available.

Dr. Gunasekera said that about 14,640 persons were identified as suffering from Asthma and the number include 8720 were patients identified for the first time.

Dr. A.T. Munasinghe, Consultant Chest Physician, Chest Hospital, Welisara and Dr.(Ms) Champa Jayasundera, Consultant Physician, Sri Jayawardenepura General Hospital also addressed the seminar.