Economic burden of chronic asthma on the rise

Hyderabad: The economic burden of chronic asthma has been on the rise in the country as more and more people are suffering from the disease in the wake of increasing pollution levels, according to Dr Jaideep A Gogtay, Chief Medical Officer of pharmaceutical major Cipla.

“As per estimates, nearly 2 to 2.5 per cent of India’s population is suffering from asthma. Though the data is slightly older, it clearly indicates the extent of economic burden the disease imposes on India,” Gogtay told the media here on Thursday, adding that updated data would be out next year.

According to him, the incidence of asthma has been growing faster worldwide, especially in developing countries. “There are many reasons for it. Rapid urbanisation, changes in environment and genetic pre-disposition to asthma are the major reasons for the increase in incidence,” he explained.

Asked how fast the problem was increasing, he cited research data from Pune city, which indicated that number of people affected by the disease double every seven years. Meanwhile, a public awareness campaign titled #BerokZindagia was launched in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana on Thursday under the aegis of Cipla to educate and encourage patients suffering from Obstructive Airway Disease (OAD) and Chronic Respiratory Diseases (CRD). CRD includes asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) which can together account for an estimated burden of about 100 million people.

“Asthma affects girls and boys equally at maybe around 8 to 10 per cent. However, women outnumber men in the adult age,” Dr R Vijai Kumar, Director, Hyderabad Chest Centre, said at the launch. Dr P Sudershan Reddy, former HoD-Paediatrics, Osmania Medical College, and badminton player Parupalli Kashyap, also took part in the event.