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Ireland rises to the challenge of revolutionising asthma management

Asthma affects almost 500,000 people in Ireland, with patients bearing the main burden in terms of morbidity and mortality. In 2003 asthma was estimated to have cost Ireland €463 million in direct health care costs. This is almost four times the European cost per patient.

The Asthma Society of Ireland is working closely in collaboration with several European and worldwide organisations to implement an effective asthma management programme. These partner organisations include the Global Initiative for Asthma, GINA, and the World Health Organisation through the Global Alliance against Chronic Respiratory Diseases, GARD, programme.

Via a systematic programme of investment and education, which reflects the objectives of the Brussels Declaration to revolutionise asthma management, the Asthma Society of Ireland aims to achieve zero tolerance to asthma deaths, a 50% reduction in the number of patients who require hospitalisation and visits to accident & emergency departments, and a 30% reduction in health care costs per patient.

The Asthma Society of Ireland are implementing a new Asthma Initiative Management Program which involves up to 30 GP centres throughout Ireland. In support of this program Vitalograph Ireland is providing spirometry training for GPs and respiratory nurses within these centres, using the Vitalograph Pneumotrac and Spirotrac V software, and working with the Society in the development of a web based data collection system.

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