A project starting this spring will help the 12 percent of Ontario children with asthma, a lung condition that makes it hard to breathe. The project will run in the schools because that's where children spend 40 per cent of their waking hours, public health nurse Denise Hyde told members of the Sudbury and District Board of Health on Thursday afternoon.
First, schools will ask parents and guardians if their children have asthma or use asthma medication. Second, those students will be given an asthma information package. The package includes an asthma management form, instructions on how to get a medic alert bracelet and checklists for parents and students. Third, schools will receive educational materials to help students, teachers, office staff and principals understand asthma.
The Sudbury District Health Unit was one of four in Ontario that participated in a pilot project to make schools asthma-friendly. The five-year project wrapped up in 2007.
Hyde said asthma is the leading cause of visits to emergency rooms and the biggest reason why children miss school.
For more information, go to www.asthmainschools.com and www.asthmainschoolsblueprint.com .
