Implications of Health Policy on Asthma

¶ … Health Policy on Asthma

Asthma is a common and chronic disease that occurs across all age groups. It is one of the conditions that have remained the focus of intervention policies in public health. It is also reported that morbidity and mortality of the condition remains high. The negative implications of asthma are comparable to the effects of other ailments, including liver cirrhosis, diabetes and schizophrenia. The interventions that have been instituted in asthma management have, however, reduced mortality to a significant extent in countries where they have been implemented (Bousquet, Philippe J. Bousquet, Philippe Godard, & Jean-Pierre Daures, 2005).

Socio-Economic Implications

Asthma has both direct and indirect economic implications arising from cost of medicines and health care service. There is also the economic cost of rendering victims less productive. Studies show that the direct cost associated with asthma are in the range of 1% to 3% of the total budget in the medical sector in the majority of countries across the globe. The burden of asthma in economic terms in the U.S. in economic terms in 1998 was estimated to be in the margin of $12.7 billion. The indirect costs were computed to 50% of the total cost. Costs related to the condition can be attributed to the cost of pharmaceuticals, emergency visits and hospitalization. There is also the cost of failing to work because of the effects of the condition (Bousquet, Philippe J. Bousquet, Philippe Godard, & Jean-Pierre Daures, 2005). Further, recent studies show that the total indirect yearly asthma expenditure has been estimated to stand at $1,098 for each child. This translates to $2.8 billion yearly, nationwide. The total amount of money lost due to lost productivity by parents as a result of not attending to work is estimated at $919 million. It has been cited that $1.5 billion were lost in direct cost implications such as medication (all costs inflation adjusted to 2006) (Asthma Interventions and Cost Consequences -- Synthesis of Research Findings, 2007).

Community/School Level Implications

A study was done on the school based asthma intervention plan in the Buffalo area of New York. The program required that all students diagnosed with asthma should have an approved asthma care plan at school. The researchers facilitated public awareness and education on asthma management interventions and programs. There was a marked improvement of the symptoms that trigger asthma. This led to reduced visits to the emergency rooms. The positive results are encouraging. They emphasize the need to continue school based asthma intervention including intervention. This will enhance the level of learning by health care providers and caregivers (Amenyah, 2011).

Cutting Down Costs

Many countries have introduced national asthma management programs. These interventions have yielded positive results in asthma management. Severity and mortality have also been reduced. The overall effects are that the cost is tremendously reduced. The French government is a good example. The country initiated a program for better management of asthma and its prevention. The program recommends several activities to be conducted over the next 5 years. These include school-based prevention, improved care and management of emergency units, developing asthma education programs, refocusing on occupational asthma, and proposing guidelines for following up. Self-management program that has multiple components for potential asthma victims was found to be effective. The study was done on school-age children (Bousquet, Philippe J. Bousquet, Philippe Godard, & Jean-Pierre Daures, 2005).