Europe’s silent asthma epidemic

Date: 12/05/05

AT least 1.5 million Europeans with severe asthma are living in "constant fear" that suffocating attacks will kill them, according to a new study.

Researchers for the study Fighting for Breath asked 1,300 sufferers in five European countries (France, Germany, Spain, Sweden and the UK) about their experience of living with asthma.

The results showed that:

• One in five experiences speech-limiting attacks at least once a week, meaning that they are unable to draw breath even to ask for help;
• more than 33% say that asthma prevents them going out and socialising while 70% say that it stops them enjoying sport;
• one in five feels it damages their career or studies, and;
• two in five respondents say they cannot avoid other people's cigarette smoke, even though this is one of the most common triggers for an asthma attack.

The European Federation of Allergy and Airway Disease Associations (EFA), a Brussels-based alliance of 41 patient organisations in 23 countries, says it will use the results of its survey to press the EU and national governments to give asthma a higher priority.

The association is calling on the EU to honour its promise of "a high level of health protection" for citizens by issuing regulations on clean air, indoors and outdoors, including a ban on smoking in all public places, including workplaces.

Few of those questioned are optimistic about the future: more than half expect "little improvement" in asthma management and 22% of respondents from Germany think this will actually get worse in the next five years.

But 71% of all those surveyed hope there will be advances in research and medication within this period.

EFA, which commissioned the study from NOP Healthcare, estimates that 30 million Europeans suffer from asthma, six million of them from severe asthma.

The disease is estimated to impose a burden on healthcare services of €17.7 billion in Europe, of which about half is spent on the 20% of people with severe asthma. In addition, loss of productivity is estimated at €9.8bn.

"Yet their suffering is often unnecessary," said EFA President, Svein-Erik Myrseth.

"We know that, tragically, one person in Western Europe dies every hour as a result of asthma and that 90% of these deaths could be prevented through increased public awareness, better access to appropriate healthcare provision, changes in environmental and healthcare policy and improvements in research."

According to the study, most people with severe asthma in Europe are failing to receive standards of care to match international GINA (Global Initiative for Asthma) treatment targets.

EFA also wants more funding for research and campaigns to raise public awareness of the issue.

British Liberal Democrat MEP Liz Lynne, an asthma sufferer for the past 20 years and her party's spokesperson on disability issues, said that "hidden disabilities" like asthma were not always treated seriously.

She said public policy on smoking could make a "real difference" to the lives of asthma sufferers but, as healthcare was not an exclusive EU competence, the onus was on member states to take action on this.

"Research should also be disseminated to all member states and good practice replicated," she said.

Article on the dimensions of asthma, which according to a recent study at least 1.5 million Europeans suffer from. The study 'Fighting for Breath' gives a European patient's perspective of severe asthma, was released by EFA, the European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients' Associations, on 3 May 2004 World Asthma day.

http://www.efanet.org/ http://www.efanet.org/

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