Cipla launches campaign on respiratory diseases, cure

CHENNAI: There is a need to improve paediatric respiratory care in India as 80 per cent of patients experience symptoms before the age of six, said a study published in the Public Library of Medicine.

Meanwhile, Cipla, a private healthcare provider, has launched a public campaign to improve awareness of respiratory disease and treatment acceptance among children with chronic respiratory diseases like asthma.

The campaign, ‘Tuffies’ aims to direct more targeted awareness on improving respiratory care amongst children, especially those living with asthma. According to the study, “Prevalence of asthma among children in India: A systematic review and meta-analysis, “ about 80 per cent of asthmatics experience symptoms during the first 6 years of their life.

The campaign is targeted at engaging children between the ages of 5 through 10 years of age and their caregivers to overcome the myths and stigma associated with chronic respiratory diseases and their treatments as insufficient awareness about the disease, misconceptions, and perceived myths associated with its cornerstone treatment i.e. inhalation therapy, have resulted in many cases of asthma going undiagnosed and even untreated.

Dr Suresh Natarajan, Senior Consultant Paediatric Allergist – Pulmonologist in Chennai said, “Paediatric asthma can be a distressing condition for both the child and its family. It is a chronic condition that requires ongoing and often intensive management to keep symptoms under control. Early diagnosis and proper treatment can help reduce the frequency as well as the severity of the condition. However, misunderstandings about the disease as well as its most widely used and recommended treatment led to parents often concealing the condition including for societal reasons, putting off treatment until symptoms worsen.”