A NATIONAL asthma charity has backed the Evening Star's Breath of Life campaign to highlight the plight of thousands of asthma sufferers in Suffolk and the UK.
By JOANNE CONSTABLE
joanne.constable@eveningstar.co.uk
A NATIONAL asthma charity has backed the Evening Star's Breath of Life campaign to highlight the plight of thousands of asthma sufferers in Suffolk and the UK.
The National Asthma Campaign said that for many the condition is a matter of life and death.
The charity is fighting to reduce the number of asthma sufferers by campaigning for government-funded research to ultimately find a cure.
Caroline Moye, a spokeswoman for NAC, said: "The National Asthma Campaign supports the Evening Star's campaign to raise awareness of asthma.
"Asthma is about more than wheezing now and then. For many it is a daily anxiety about how to avoid an asthma attack.
"For some, it's a matter of life and death. Currently there is no cure."
The Evening Star launched the breath of life campaign seven days ago to raise awareness of the condition which is increasing at an alarming rate in the UK and world wide.
Miss Moye said: "Asthma affects around 5.1 million people in the UK. "Currently one in eight children in the UK has asthma. Every seven minutes someone is admitted to hospital because of their asthma.
"The National Asthma Campaign's vision is a world without asthma. We want to raise public awareness of asthma and how serious it can be," she added.
"This will in turn help us campaign for a better deal for people with asthma and help us raise funds for our research to improve asthma
treatment and ultimately find a cure."
The registered charity provides sufferers with the opportunity to get advice and information from trained asthma nurses through their helpline which is charged at local rates.
Their website is packed with fact sheets, booklets and answers to every question an asthma suffer could ask, from advice on buying a nebuliser to the different types of inhalers.
The NAC, whose main objective is to eradicate the condition, believes that asthma sufferers should have more of a say on decisions which affect them such as those concerning planning, transport, health and education.
They also want smoking to be banned in public places and for emissions of pollutants to be reduced, which are two of the main triggers of an asthma attack.
Helpline: 08457 01 02 03.
Weblink
www.asthma.org.uk
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