Scotland’s only dedicated asthma charity has opened a new Asthma Support Centre to provide support services for people with asthma and allergy in the north east of Scotland. Officially opened by the Minister for Mental Health, Maureen Watt MSP.
The Aberdeen-based Asthma and Allergy Foundation provides free evidence-based health information, confidential advice and support to people with asthma, their families, carers and friends across the north-east of Scotland.
The charity, which was formed in 2009, has established a new asthma support centre at Suffolk House on Dyce’s Pitmedden Road which was officially opened by Maureen Watt MSP, the Scottish Government Minister for Mental Health on Friday, June 16.
Asthma affects more than 35,000 people in the Grampian area and there are 368,000 people with asthma in Scotland, including 72,000 children.
Martina Chukwuma-Ezike, chief executive of Asthma and Allergy Foundation, has worked with colleagues at the organisation to set up the new base. She said: "We are absolutely delighted to have opened our new asthma support centre and I would like to invite the north-east community to come and visit us in Dyce to find out how we can help them to manage asthma and allergies.
“Asthma can affect anyone at any age and since the charity was formed more than 13,000 people in Aberdeen have directly benefited from its services and support to those with asthma helped them to self-manage their condition, which is vital.
“There are 1,000 deaths a year from asthma in the UK and around 90% of them are preventable. As Scotland’s only asthma charity we aim to reduce this figure and by providing our services we want to ensure that everyone who turns to us for support gets the help they need so they or their loved ones can live a healthier and active life."
Maureen Watt, minister for mental health, said: "This will be a valuable facility for Aberdeen, providing support for people with asthma and their families. I'm delighted to be here for the official opening. The Scottish Government is currently working with specialists to develop a new improvement plan for respiratory health.
“This will support our commitment to delivering the best treatment for people living with respiratory conditions, including asthma, identify priority areas for improvement, and where possible reduce the risk of people developing these conditions."
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation, which relies on donations to enable it to continue to provide support to the local community, also runs several education and engagement programs with primary and secondary schools in Aberdeen. These help teachers, pupils and school staff to help support children who have asthma and teach them the skills needed to help them when necessary.
The charity also provides bespoke asthma awareness training sessions for companies and organisations to help employees learn more about the condition, how to recognise the symptoms and provide care when needed.
For more information about the Asthma and Allergy Foundation, please call (01224) 973001, email: info@aaf-un.org, or visit: www.aaf-un.org