Bermuda Hospitals Board launches island-wide asthma campaign

19 September 2017: The blue quick-reliever asthma inhaler Salbutamol is being featured on the back of 23 public buses and in ads in The Royal Gazette online as part of Bermuda Hospitals Board’s (BHB) island-wide asthma awareness campaign. September is back-to-school season and as such sees one of the largest spikes in asthma attacks, especially in children, in Bermuda.

BHB Asthma Nurse Educator Debbie Barboza said cold and flu viruses and the change in seasons bring an increase in uncontrolled asthma for adults as well. To manage their condition, many asthmatics use their blue quick-reliever daily.

“The blue inhaler should most definitely be used if there is difficulty breathing,” said Ms Barboza. “The problem is that many people with asthma use the reliever inhalers regularly, sometimes even daily! One quick-reliever inhaler should last a year if your asthma is well controlled.

“The back-of-the-bus message is aimed at these people, letting them know there is a better option and that using the reliever inhaler more than twice is week is not the best way to manage their condition. They should be using a preventer inhaler to control their asthma symptoms.”

The island-wide campaign will run for a year, changing midway, to drive greater awareness on the ability asthmatics have to take control of their condition.

Last year asthma attacks accounted for just over six percent of all visits to the Emergency Department (1,871 asthma cases out of 30,982 total Emergency Department visits from April 2015 to March 2016).

“Every asthmatic should have an action plan. I am here to help each person create theirs,” said Ms Barboza.

Contact information for the BHB asthma nurse is included in both the online and back-of-the-bus ads. BHB encourages members of the public to contact Ms Barboza at 239-2027 or asthma.centre@bhb.bm. Consultations are covered under the standard hospital benefit.

Asthma Campaign mini promotion

Take your photo with the BHB asthma campaign on the back of any bus displaying the ad, email it to asthma.centre@bhb.bm, and we’ll run it on the BHB Facebook page and give you a prize. The promotion ends Thursday 28 September 2017.