British Lung Foundation Leaflets Available Ahead Of World TB Day In A Variety Of Languages

Main Category: Tuberculosis
Also Included In: Respiratory / Asthma
Article Date: 23 Mar 2009 - 2:00 PDT

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The British Lung Foundation has produced leaflets in six different languages, which will help to support the World TB Day campaign which takes place on Tuesday 24th of March 2009. The leaflets are available in Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi, Turkish and Urdu, and it is hoped that they will continue to have a significant impact on the scale of impact of information on TB, which affects a reported 8,497 people in the UK.

TB is problematic because it can cause no immediate illness and can remain dormant for many years before the symptoms (bad cough, bloodstained sputum (phlegm) and chest pain) become prevalent. Appetite loss and fever are also common symptoms, as well as weight loss. Sometimes TB can quite easily be treated after diagnosis, however it can be fatal if it is not treated and such treatment can sometimes be difficult. Those suffering can have a strain which is resistant to any of a variety of drugs.

Dame Helena Shovelton, chief executive of the British Lung Foundation commented, 'the BLF is very proud to have produced leaflets which can contribute to reducing the impact of a disease such as TB in this way'. She added, 'TB affects more people in the UK than the majority of nations in Western Europe and we believe that it requires more attention nationally. Allowing people to more access to material that is legible to them is certainly good way to draw such attention'.

The British Lung Foundation TB multilingual leaflets can be ordered free of charge by contacting the BLF and can be accessed and downloaded free from the BLF website at: http://www.lunguk.org/OneStopCMS/Core/SearchResults.aspx

1. The British Lung Foundation is the only UK charity working for everyone affected by lung disease. The charity focuses its resources on providing support for people affected by lung disease today; and works in a variety of ways (including funding world-class research) to bring about positive change, to improve treatment, care and support for people affected by lung disease in the future.

It provides information via the website http://www.lunguk.org and telephone helpline 08458 50 50 20.

2. In 2006 the charity launched a membership scheme with the aim of recruiting the 8 million people with lung disease in the UK and anyone with an interest in lung disease.

3. One person in every seven in the UK is affected by lung disease - this equates to approximately 8 million people

4. Respiratory disease is the second biggest killer in the UK (117,456 deaths in 20042) after all non-respiratory cancers combined which only account for slightly more deaths (122,500 deaths in UK in 2004)

5. Respiratory disease now kills one in five people in the UK

6. The UK's death rate from respiratory disease is almost double the European average and the 6th highest in Europe

7. Respiratory disease is the most commonly reported long term illness in children and the third most commonly reported in adults. One in 7 boys and 1 in 8 girls aged 2 - 15 report having long term respiratory illness in England

8.All the British Lung Foundation's information leaflets are available free of charge by visiting this link to our website http://www.lunguk.org/request-publications.asp, calling our leaflet order line on 02076885555 or by writing to 73-75 Goswell Road, London EC1V 7ER and requesting an order form. We have a wide range of leaflets on all aspects of lung health and they will be posted anywhere in the UK.

Source
British Lung Foundation

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