Addressing air quality and inequalities to help every child and young person with asthma to access the right care
#AskAboutAsthma is an annual campaign that aims to improve children and young people’s asthma by making simple changes that will make a big difference to how they manage their condition. Now in its sixth year, the campaign is led by NHS England – London and focuses on four key asks:
1. Get an asthma action plan in place,
2. Understand how to use inhalers correctly,
3. Schedule an asthma review – every year and after every attack, and;
4. Consider air pollution and its impact on lung health.
While air pollution has been considered in previous campaigns, this year it has been added as a fourth ask to highlight its impact on lung health and the need for interventions across health, housing, education and local authorities.
This year’s campaign will also address the additional challenges caused by inequalities in care for children and young people with asthma and how these can be approached. In line with city-wide strategies to tackle both health inequalities and awareness around air pollution and health in London, the 2022 campaign has been supported by Sadiq Khan – Mayor of London.
Commenting on the campaign, The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said:
“As someone who developed asthma as an adult, I know the damage that London’s toxic air is doing to our health. That’s why I’m working hard to build a greener and safer city for all Londoners by expanding the world’s first Ultra-Low Emission Zone and introducing air quality alerts directly to schools. The #AskAboutAsthma campaign sends a vital message to help children and young people across the capital with this condition and it’s important that this year the campaign is also addressing the challenges of the health inequalities across our city that prevent many Londoners from fulfilling their potential.”
Improving awareness around the right asthma care
Asthma is the most common long-term medical condition affecting children and young people. 1 in 11 are affected by the condition, which is around 3 in every London classroom. Many have badly managed asthma, with over 20,000 admitted to hospital every year in England.
#AskAboutAsthma sets out to raise awareness of simple steps and changes which can be taken by children, young people and their supporters to reduce absences from school and to help them take part in activities more fully.
Jennifer Townshend – National lead for children and young people’s asthma, NHS England, said:
”Now in its sixth year, the #AskAboutAsthma campaign focuses on the importance of getting the basics of asthma management right and the big difference this can make to how a patient can control their asthma. Health inequalities in asthma have always existed, but now the gap appears to be widening; I’m pleased that this year’s campaign is also highlighting the growing differences in outcomes between different groups, and what we can all do to address them.
”There is also a focus on the importance of talking about air pollution with patients and raising awareness of the practical steps they can take to reduce the impact of both indoor and outdoor air pollution on their asthma control.”
