Discussions have begun within Bermuda's schools with the view to introducing a national school asthma policy, something which should be in place by the start of the next school year in 2004.

School nurses, in partnership with Liz Boden from Open Airways, met on August 27 to discuss the asthma policy and to share ideas and suggestions. The aim of a national school asthma policy would be to deliver high quality, coordinated asthma care for children of all ages who suffer from asthma.

"Everyone agreed that an asthma policy would be a good idea," said Mrs. Boden.

"The nurses were all enthusiastic and willing to help in any way that they could. We agreed to keep the policy simple; involve all schools at every level, both Government and private; to encourage input from teachers, parents and asthmatic children; to work with the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education.

"We believe that this will take a year to set up and so we hope to launch the official schools asthma policy in September, 2004."

Another meeting is scheduled for November 9 to discuss the issue further.

Mrs.. Boden believes that mould levels in the classrooms will be high after schools had been closed for the summer, and the recent hurricane will not have helped.

Pets in a classrooms such as hamsters and rabbits can also aggravate a child's asthma, Mrs. Boden pointed out. She estimates one in five Bermuda children have asthma.

"They should have a pets' corner," Mrs. Boden urged.

"One pre-school had the biggest rabbit but now they've put it out on a porch which is good. At another school I found the biggest bird in a cage which is now on a porch, too."

Mrs. Boden says the asthma policy would help raise awareness of asthma in the schools. The policy would help teachers:

Know who suffers from asthma in the class;

ensure pre-school and lower primary school children have a reliever (blue inhaler) available in the classrooms at all times. Middle and high school students should have one in their schoolbag or locker.

Ensure that the inhaler is taken on school outings and children have access to their inhaler when needed during recess times;

be aware that regular use of a reliever (blue) inhaler means poor control of asthma. These children should be referred to the school nurse and offered asthma education.

Should be aware that free spacer devices and asthma education is available to everyone;

remember that asthma is disabling, distressing and also life-threatening. However it can be managed easily and effectively with modern medication and education.

Despite the seriousness of the illness, asthma should not prevent children from participating in physical activities.

"Some children still use asthma as an excuse and it shouldn't be," Mrs. Boden stressed.

"Some of the greatest athletes in the world, who have won gold medals at the Olympics, are asthmatic. The bottom line is asthmatics can do everything with good asthma control.

"PE teachers should be aware of which children have asthma, encourage them to take part and remind them that some of them have to take their blue inhaler before sports," said Mrs. Boden.

She also stressed that it was very important that parents communicate with the school on the child's asthma condition.

"They must make sure to tell the school what medication they are on and if they had an attack on the weekend," she stated.

"But first make sure the school knows they have asthma. When I went to a pre-school last year 21 children out of 60 had asthma, so that is one in three. On average it is one in five and is very, very high here."

Mrs. Boden would like to see the Island's schools take the responsibility of:

recognising that asthma is an important condition affecting many children;

welcoming children with asthma;

ensuring the school environment is favourable to children with asthma, i.e. no pets in the classroom;

recognising that immediate access to a reliever is vital. Inhalers should not be kept in a school office but in the classroom for young children.

Keeping an asthma register and records medications and records time missed from school due to asthma;

insuring all teachers should attend asthma workshops to understand the disease, the medications and the delivery of medications using spacer devices and know what to do in an emergency;

working together to insure that the asthma policy is implemented and maintained successfully.

Mrs. Boden expects asthmatic children to be affected by the mould that exist in classrooms that have been closed for much of the summer.

"There will be a lot of mould around, the classrooms have not been aired well and within the first three weeks of going back to school most of the asthmatic children are wheezing again," she pointed out.

"Following a storm the mould count will be very, very high because the leaves are going to come off the trees and be stacked in the bushes and hedgerows, there is going to be a huge amount of rain and they are all going to go to mould. That is a nightmare for asthmatics.

"If they get back on their preventative inhaler, and always using a spacer device, it makes it easier. A spacer device is available free to everybody though the Government clinics.

"I have them through the Nurses Practice and Debbie Barboza has them at the hospital. Any school nurse has access to a free spacer device."

Revealed Mrs. Boden: "Asthma is the number one reason children miss time from school and the number one reason children take medication during school hours.

"Anybody who is using the blue reliever ventolin inhaler regularly has got poor control, so should reach out, get education, get onto good preventative medication and everybody should be able to lead normal, healthy, active lives."