Asthma New Zealand Evokes Darth Vader To Educate Kiwis And Mark World Asthma Day, Tuesday May 4th.

Tuesday May 4th is World Asthma Day. It is also, as all fans will know - ‘Star Wars Day’ with the phrase “May the Fourth (FORCE) be with you” well known and used by fans. At first glance it’s hard to imagine how the two could be linked but imagine for a moment - the raspy sound of Darth Vader’s breathing. The sound is shockingly very similar to an asthmatic wheeze. Asthma New Zealand is using the similarity to build awareness around healthy breathing sounds - and what we should be listening for in ourselves and others so as to better manage asthma.

“Darth Vader’s familiar sound is actually very much like an asthmatic wheeze and is something Kiwis should be looking out for,” says CEO of Asthma New Zealand Katheren Leitner. “By knowing what to look out for - in ourselves and others - we can better manage the health of Kiwis and reduce unnecessary hospitalisation. We are passionate about Kiwis living with asthma, rather than suffering from it.”

More than 700,000 kiwis live with asthma and respiratory illness. Says Katheren, “The theme of World Asthma Day is misconceptions - and one of the key misconceptions is that patients must ‘suffer from asthma’. We think there are many simple things that Kiwis can do to reduce a feeling of ‘suffering” - there is no reason why those with asthma cannot do everything their non-asthmatic friends do when well managed.”

It is estimated that more than 71% of people with asthma have poorly managed asthma. (Best Practice Journal for Primary Care)

Katheren is encouraged by the increased interest in breathing techniques, with the likes of Buteyko and the Wim Hof philosophy becoming part of the training regime for many professional athletes. “There is a lot we can achieve, simply by considering the way that we breathe - ask any young person what they should do if they are feeling stressed and they will tell you…breathe’”.

New Zealand has the second highest rate of asthma in the world. Says Katheren, “Our goal at Asthma New Zealand is to have New Zealanders breathe easy - we’re on a mission to reduce hospitalisation by 50% and our message to New Zealanders is to take our breathing seriously. It impacts our ability to learn, to earn, to play and engage. Far too many people drop out of sport because of poorly managed asthma. That in itself is a huge tragedy for Aotearoa as it changes the culture that is so quintessential to NZ.

“It worries me that not enough people understand the impact of poor breathing, many would be shocked to know that a child who starts school with poorly managed asthma will be 60% behind at the end of their first year. What sort of start to life is that?” ask Katheren.

If someone you care for has asthma and is not living well because of it you can call 0800 227 328 to arrange for an Asthma NZ Nurse to provide education and support to help them live well with asthma.

To mark World Asthma Day, Asthma New Zealand is launching a video series “Breathe Easy New Zealand” through which thought leaders and experts will share their knowledge around healthy breathing, episodes will be available at www.asthma.org.nz from Tuesday May 4th.

Asthma New Zealand Facts :

• Respiratory disease is NZ’s third leading cause of death
• Each year nearly two people a week die from asthma
• Respiratory disease accounts for one in ten of all hospital stays in NZ
• One in eight adults and one in seven children take asthma medication in NZ
• Over 3000 children a year in NZ are admitted to hospital with asthma.
• 586,000 days of school are missed per year as a result of asthma
• Maori, pacific and low income families are 3 x more likely to be hospitalized for asthma

Asthma New Zealand provides education, training and support to individuals with asthma/COPD and their families, in order that they may achieve their desired goals. Chief Executive Katheren Leitner is available for media comment.

World Asthma Day (WAD) is organized by the Global Initiative for Asthma, (GINA) (www.ginasthma.org), a World Health Organization collaborative organization founded in 1993. WAD is held each May, the first Tuesday in May, to raise awareness of Asthma worldwide. WHO recognizes that asthma is of major public health importance. According to WHO, it was estimated that more than 339 million people had Asthma globally (1) and there were 417,918 deaths due to asthma at the global level in 2016. (3, 4)

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