4 May 2011
Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary Peter Mwaba has said health care will be incomplete if non-communicable diseases, among them, asthma, diabetes and high blood pressure are not prioritised.
Dr Mwaba said yesterday that progress in health care delivery would not be made if non-communicable diseases were left unattended.
He was speaking during the commemoration of Asthma Day held at Chipata Clinic in Lusaka.
Dr Mwaba said the commemoration of Asthma Day was important because it raised awareness concerning the disease, which was a major cause of death worldwide.
He said his ministry was putting emphasis and scaling up awareness on controlled non-communicable diseases across the country.
“People with asthma can live normal lives if they strictly follow the preventive measures such as keeping warm and correctly use inhalers,” he said.
Zambia Paediatrics Association secretary general, Emilia Marsden said there had been improved asthma management in the country and that about 609 patients were on inhalers in Lusaka alone.
Dr Marsden said there were currently nine clinics in Lusaka that offer asthma control programmes and include Chelstone, Chipata, Chawama, Kamwala, Kalingalinga, Matero, Bauleni, and Mtendere.
The other centre handling the control programme is the University Teaching Hospital.
She said the Ministry of Health was working with health personnel in the nine health centers with the aim of raising awareness to asthma control.
She said health workers in the clinics had also been taught to stick to international guidelines on asthma management.
Dr Marsden also said contrary to popular belief, inhalers were not addictive.
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