A medical officer of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hos­pital, Dr Augustine Kwashie, has appealed to par­ents to send their children who have asthma to hospi­tal for early cure. He said that the disease is curable if it was reported early to the hospital. Dr. Kwashie said this at a forum to mark world Asthma day. The day which is celebrated every first Tuesday in May, was on the theme "You Can Control Asthma." He said that the disease was common among children and was usually acquired through birth, adding that couples who have the disease could transfer it to their babies. He said a change in the weather such as the raining season and strong sunshine can trigger the condition in patients. Dr. Kwashie advised asthmatics to engage in mild exercises like swimming and walking. Rev David Kyenkyenhene Cerullo, General Manager of QODESH Group International, manufacturers of Funtumia Elastic, medicine for the treatment of asthma, was concerned about the low public education on the disease as against the high publicity given to HIV/AIDS, malaria, diabetes and others. "Asthma which may be comparable with HIV/AIDS, diabetes, or malaria does not receive national attention and its prevalence in our country has been de-­emphasised" he pointed out. "I think the time has come for the Min­istry of Health, NGOs, corporate bodies among others to join the crusade to control the rate of death that is caused by asthma," he said. Rev. Kyen­kyenhene called on the Ministry of Health to come out with a policy to ban smoking in public places since smoking triggers asthmatic attacks. He also called on the public to cultivate good environmental practices since filth and bad environment make people sick. Source: Ghanaian Times