Asthma UK Cymru take a stand to improve asthma awareness
13 July 2009

This week Asthma UK Cymru will be teaming up with Diabetes UK Cymru and the Stroke Association to host a health stand at the Royal Welsh Show, bringing life-saving health advice and information to people with asthma from rural communities in Wales.

There are over 300,000 people in Wales with asthma and shockingly men of working age in routine or manual occupations are four times more likely to die from the condition than those from other social groups¹. In Wales over ten people a day are rushed to hospital because of this life-threatening condition but we know that with the right treatment and care, 75% of these emergencies could be avoided.  People from rural communities do not always receive the health information they need through other channels so attending this event is an important way of ensuring that people understand more about managing their own or their child's asthma and gives them the opportunity to ask questions or talk over any concerns.

The stand will be run by staff, health professionals and volunteers, many of whom have asthma themselves, and who will be on hand to provide advice, information and signposting services. Asthma UK Cymru will also be providing a range of popular bilingual materials. These include life-saving Asthma Attack Cards, which provide basic information on how to recognise an asthma attack and what steps to take, as well as Asthma UK’s Be in Control materials, which include peak flow diaries and personal asthma action plans which give people to tools they need to control their asthma and avoid future emergency admissions.

Asthma UK Cymru will also be asking visitors to share their experiences of asthma care in rural areas, including emergency care, and this information will be used to lobby and campaign on behalf of people with asthma across Wales. Their comments will also feed into the rural health plan, to ensure that everyone gets the same standard of asthma care, no matter where they live.

Catrin Shorney, Asthma UK Cymru says: ‘Having asthma doesn’t need to stop people from living life to the full. By having a health stand’ at the Royal Welsh we look forward to having the opportunity to make sure more people are aware of this.

‘People from rural areas in Wales are at a greater risk of having poor asthma management and we believe that by providing people with good quality information about their condition, we give them a better chance of living happy and healthy lives.’