THE National Health Fund (NHF) has approved a grant of $18.577 million, which it said will be used to improve the management of asthma patients in public health facilities islandwide.

The money, which was requested by the Ministry of Health, will be used to train health care providers and procure special equipment for asthma management in regional asthma clinics as well as local hospitals and health centres. It will also be used to educate patients and care-givers about the prevention and personal management of asthma.

"Adequate and timely management of asthma is crucial in order to save lives and reduce the rate of hospitalisation and length of stay as well as to decrease the cost to parents and the health care system," said Dr Karen Lewis-Bell, Director of Family Health Services at the Ministry of Health.

She said the funding from the NHF would enable a comprehensive approach to the management of asthma, and that this would result in improved quality of life for patients.

Asthma is a serious chronic disease, which poses a major public health problem in Jamaica. In fact, over the past decade there has been an increase in the number of people visiting hospitals and health centres for the treatment of this condition.

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