Air Pollution

Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan Launches Manual On Asthma Amid Rise In Air Pollution

As part of Environment Ministry led LungCare initiative, Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan launched a manual elaborating the steps to be taken by school administrations in case of Asthma emergency

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New Delhi: Amid a rise in health-related problems due to increase in air pollution in the national capital, Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan on Thursday launched a manual on asthma detailing how school administrations must behave in case of an emergency. The manual is a compilation of simple, easy-to-understand information on childhood asthma and the best practices that schools can implement to provide a safe and supportive environment for children.

Mr. Vardhan said the manual will help school administrations in dealing with emergencies associated with breathing problems. The manual comes as Delhi continues its battle with increasing pollution levels which has been oscillating between very poor and severe categories.

Also Read: Combating Indoor Air Pollution: 5 Plants To Make Your Home Clean And Green

The manual is an initiative of Lung Care Initiative, supported by the Environment Ministry. The manual is a “must read” for teachers, parents and school administrations, and lists causes, symptoms and treatment of asthma, officials said.

The medicines for asthma included relievers, inhaler devices, and nebulisers. The manual also lists the side effects of asthma medicines that include rapid heartbeat and hyperactivity in children.

Mr. Vardhan said the manual will help stakeholders in the school eco-system to understand the “basics of asthma and offer reasonable and implementable solutions towards creating an environment, where asthma is effectively managed and children with asthma can be healthy, happy and lead an active school life.”

Highlighting the importance of this initiative, Abhishek Kumar, CEO and co-founder, Lung Care Foundation, said with an increasing number of children with an asthmatic tendency in India, such information becomes all the more important. Over 10 per cent of school-going children suffer from asthma.

Also Read: Air Pollution: Here’s How Metro Cities In India Are Faring Ahead Of Diwali

Poorly-controlled asthma can lead to retardation of physical growth in a child. It may also cause psychological impact from absenteeism and inability to keep up with the peer group because of the child’s frequent visits to medical care facilities.

All the above are preventable and thus it is extremely important that a school administration understands the presence and magnitude of this problem.

NDTV – Dettol Banega Swachh India campaign lends support to the Government of India’s Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM). Helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan, the campaign aims to spread awareness about hygiene and sanitation, the importance of building toilets and making India open defecation free (ODF) by October 2019, a target set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when he launched Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in 2014. Over the years, the campaign has widened its scope to cover issues like air pollutionwaste managementplastic banmanual scavenging and menstrual hygiene. The campaign has also focused extensively on marine pollutionclean Ganga Project and rejuvenation of Yamuna, two of India’s major river bodies.

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