Ireland records fourth highest childhood asthma rate

Ireland has the fourth-highest prevalence of childhood asthma symptoms in the world, according to figures published today.

Ireland has the highest rate of asthma symptoms in young adults aged between 20 and 44. The Global Burden of Asthma figures were released as part of World Asthma Day.

With a level of 29 per cent of the disease among children, Ireland is fourth behind Britain, Australia and New Zealand.

Some 400,000 people have asthma in Ireland and studies show that 27 per cent have visited the emergency department or had an emergency visit to the doctor in the past year. Research has also shown that Irish children miss 10 school days annually due to asthma, and adults miss about 12 days from work.

"People living with asthma are coping with huge social and financial burdens and need help", said Dr Pat Manning, Consultant Respiratory Physician, and Chairman of the Asthma Society of Ireland's Medical Committee.

"Our priority is to ensure that cost-effective management approaches, which have been proven to reduce morbidity and mortality, are available to as many people as possible", he added.

According to the Global Burden of Asthma an estimated 300 million people worldwide now have asthma.