Leap in asthma cases predicted

A New Zealand researcher predicts a leap in worldwide asthma cases over the next 20 years.

Professor Richard Beasley's report, "The Global Burden of Asthma", prepared for the World Health Organisation, estimates a marked increase in the number of patients with asthma worldwide in the next 20 years.

The report, launched to coincide with World Asthma Day, said there were about 300 million asthmatics worldwide - and this figure was set to increase as communities adopted more western lifestyles and became urbanised.

The world's urban population was predicted to grow from 45 per cent to 59 per cent by 2025, which was likely to cause a significant increase of knew asthma cases, Professor Beasley said.

He said asthma would become a greater burden on society and the social and economic cost of asthma was already substantial.

A 2001 report by Professor Beasley and Shaun Holt for the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation had found asthma cost New Zealand more than $825 million per year.

Professor Beasley said the report found the costs were in primary care services, hospital care, pharmaceuticals as well as days off work, disability and premature death.

The New Zealand report said asthma affected one in six New Zealanders - one of the highest asthma rates in the world - and that New Zealand also had one of the highest hospital admission rates for asthma.

Asthma was the third highest-ranking specific disease when measured by how many years a person was too unwell to enjoy a productive life as they normally would.

- NZPA