Asthma Awareness Week is all go

4 May, 2009

Asthma Awareness Week is all go

Asthma is the leading reason for Kiwi kids being hospitalised and about 1 in 4 of our children has the illness, which takes a huge toll on New Zealand, the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation says.

‘In addition to the disruption, risks and trauma that asthma adds to the lives of people who have the illness, the onerous burden of asthma on our health system and, for example, Kiwi children’s education, is often understated,’ says Foundation Executive Director, Jane Patterson.

‘This winter our public health professionals will be put under enormous strain because of asthma,’ Jane says, and, ‘more than half a million school days are lost to the illness each year’.

Jane was speaking on the first day of Asthma Awareness Week. The week, part of Foundation’s Balloon Day campaign, involves events and promotions at Mitre 10 stores, schools, pharmacies, public libraries, hospitals and medical centres across the country. The campaign, which raises money for child asthma research, has been endorsed by a number of high profile kiwis from the worlds of politics, journalism, sport and entertainment.

Associate Health Minister Tariana Turia, runner Alice Mason who stormed the running world by coming second in the Great Australian run in November, and young Labour MP Jacinda Ardern are supporting the fight against asthma. They are joined by journalist Linley Boniface and Outrageous Fortune actor Kirk Torrance, who has asthma himself.

Tariana Turia recently said: ‘Balloon Day is a great campaign for raising the awareness of asthma and to dig into our pockets and help those who are as challenged as my whanau is....I encourage all New Zealanders to get behind the campaign.'

Balloon Day is proudly supported by Mitre 10.

ENDS

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