Mobile unit to fight wheeze

By KATHERINE HOBY

Our asthma rates are among the worst in the world. About one in three New Zealand children has asthma.

This frightening figure and the fact that one in seven adults also has asthma mean we have one of the highest rates of asthma among the member nations of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Better understanding of the condition would aid in its management.

Asthma New Zealand and the ANZ bank have just unveiled the ANZ mobile education unit. It will travel nationwide to carry out lung checks in communities.

The bright blue vehicle will provide free information to people about asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

It will offer lung function tests as it travels throughout New Zealand over the next three years.

The purpose-built unit aims to improve asthma management and detect the early signs of loss of lung function among people with undiagnosed COPD.

A team of asthma nurses who are trained spirometry technicians will travel with the unit.

They will provide advice and conduct a special lung-function test to detect loss of function.

Results will be forwarded to the client's general practitioner for further investigation.

Asthma New Zealand president Dr Allen Liang says the unit will enable people to access asthma services in their own communities.

This could be done at sports venues, shopping centres, workplaces and community centres.

"It means we're no longer waiting for people to contact us for assistance - our approach is to make our service available to everyone," he said.

"Many people believe their asthma is under control, but in actual fact their quality of life would improve significantly if they took time to learn about the condition."

*ANZ Asthma and Respiratory Awareness Week begins tomorrow.