The week is observed as Asthma Awareness Week while the Asthma Foundation is enthusiastic to make people familiar with human as well as financial costs of asthma hospitalization. Approximately, 12,122 children were diagnosed positive against the asthma, particularly in the regions of Manawatu/Whanganui whereas the past year has witnessed a significant hike in the number of hospitalized children's suffering from asthma with a figure of over 4600 children, lying in the age group of 2 to 16.

Meanwhile, St. John, an ambulance service provider, has also offered its support to Asthma Foundation's work in order to reduce the terrible asthma attacks and said Asthma is a serious health problem in our community and majority of people are forced to face the unbearable attacks while some other die because of the disease.

The Chief Executive of the Asthma Foundation, Angela Francis, has greeted the support from the St. John. Whereas Dr. Ellis has urged the parents to claim for a child asthma plan and said: "Many people, usually with mild asthma, underestimate how serious their condition can be and we urge people to review their asthma care regularly with their GP or an asthma educator [available through their nearest Asthma Society, a directory of which can be found at www. asthmafoundation. org. nz"