70pc of children suffer from lung diseases

Lung-related diseases are on the rise at an alarming rate in the country and around 60 to 70 percent of the children are suffering from lung diseases, speakers said at a roundtable yesterday.

Awareness on prevention of the diseases rather than cure is more important, they also said at the roundtable titled, “Working Together for Better Lung Health”, marking World Lung Day, to be observed globally for the first time this year on September 25.

The discussion was organised jointly by The Daily Star, Bangladesh Lung Foundation (BLF) and Beacon Pharmaceuticals Ltd at the newspaper's office in the capital.

Awareness needs to be raised about the causes of lung diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), tuberculosis, asthma and pneumonia, the participants said.

While the government will do its part, efforts of different social platforms and organisations and role of the media is vital in fostering the awareness, they also said.

Environmental pollution, rapid urbanisation, unplanned industrialisation, smoking and high density of population are some of the major challenges that lay in the path of ensuring respiratory health for all, they observed.

Referring to data gathered from international medical journal Lancet, a handout provided at the roundtable indicates COPD and lower respiratory tract infections as two of the top five killer diseases in Bangladesh. 

Nationwide surveys conducted by pulmonologists in 1999 and 2010 show a two-fold increase in respiratory diseases, it says.

According to data collected from child specialists, the handout says 60 to 70 percent children seeking medical attention in the country are suffering from lung diseases.

BLF Secretary General Prof Ali Hossain said 65 million people suffer from COPD and three million die from it each year, making it the third leading cause of death worldwide.

He said 10 million people develop tuberculosis and 1.4 million die from it each year, making it the most common lethal infectious disease. Moreover, 334 million people suffer from asthma while pneumonia kills millions of people each year.

Syed Mahbubul Alam, technical adviser of international anti-tobacco organisation The Union, said 43 percent of the country's population are smokers while men are more prone to smoking than women. About one crore women are victims of passive smoking.

Absence of law enforcement as well as deficient prevention and control policies are to be blamed for the alarming rate of tobacco use in the country, he said.

Prof Rashidul Hassan, president of BLF, said to fight against lung-related diseases, importance has to be given on three areas -- education, physical exercise and eradication of risk factors.

He stressed the need for preventive measures such as taking two vaccine shots that lower the chance of lung diseases to half.

Prof Mohammed Shahedur Rahman Khan, director of National Institute of Diseases of the Chest and Hospital, said doctors, while treating and counselling patients, need to create awareness about how to tackle the causes of lung diseases.

“A small incident may turn fatal due to a lack of awareness,” he said, adding that smoke from household stoves and burning of tyres can cause harm to the lung.

The Daily Star Associate Editor Brig Gen (retd) Shahedul Anam Khan said alongside BLF, the media can play a vital role in raising awareness on what people can do to breathe fresh air.

Celebrated cricketer Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, who suffers from breathing problems, said a heightened awareness about lung-related diseases will help people fight the diseases.

Moderated by BLF Joint Secretary Dr Abdus Shakur Khan, the roundtable was also addressed, among others, by Prof Bashir Ahmed, president of Bangladesh Asthma Association; Mohammad Ebadul Karim, managing director of Beacon Pharmaceuticals Ltd; writer journalist Moinul Ahsan Saber, and actor Sharmili Ahmed.