A new report into the treatment of severe asthma in Ireland has shed light on the complex challenges faced by patients and the healthcare system. The comprehensive report, released recently by the Asthma Society of Ireland, follows an in-depth investigation into severe asthma in Ireland, which included a patient survey, focus group discussions, and a roundtable event with healthcare professionals.
Severe asthma is a chronic and potentially life-threatening condition that significantly impacts patients’ wellbeing, quality of life, and places a substantial economic burden on individuals and society. The delayed diagnosis and treatment of patients, the financial pressure on both a personal and State level, and the lack of awareness of severe asthma as a distinct and debilitating disease are just some of the challenges highlighted in the report, said the Society.
Eilís Ní Chaithnía, CEO, Asthma Society of Ireland, said: “The publication of this report is an important step not only in rectifying the shortcomings of severe asthma care in Ireland, but also in giving voice to people who for a long time have been suffering in silence with little recognition. Asthma can often be dismissed as a trivial illness. It is not. And particularly for patients living with severe asthma, this couldn’t be further from the truth.”
“It’s clear from the report findings that the approach to severe asthma care and supports in Ireland needs close and immediate attention and we are calling on the next Government to implement the recommendations as a matter of urgency. Furthermore, we are urging all political parties to pledge their support for a severe asthma registry, ahead of the general election”.
Approximately 450,000 people in Ireland currently have asthma, making asthma the most common chronic respiratory disease in the country. It is estimated that between 3 per cent and 10 per cent of that patient population has severe asthma. However, unlike many other countries, Ireland does not have a national registry of severe asthma patients, which makes it difficult to accurately assess the true number of patients.
Prof Marcus Butler, Consultant Respiratory Physician at St Vincent’s Hospital,Dublin,said: “We can currently only estimate the number of people in Ireland with severe asthma based on prevalence rates in other jurisdictions and on the numbers of people we treat in specialist clinics. This represents a significant challenge — it’s hard to make the best policy, budgetary or service decisions if we don’t know the full extent of the situation.
“A severe asthma registry could provide accurate, reliable and more up-to-date information about the treated and not-yet-treated patient population and the disease. Data like this would facilitate better research, better health service planning and management and, crucially, better treatment and care for people with different forms of severe asthma”.
