Ok, so today is Balloon Day in NZ. Not heard of it?
And as Life Insurer’s, we’re right into this because Asthma-related DEATH is one of the risks we insure people against. Look at any life insurance application form and you'll see a question about your history of asthma.
So is Asthma a risk? Really??
Everyone we know enjoys statistics, so here are some NZ stats (from the foundation’s website) so you can make up your own mind if Asthma is a problem:
·New Zealand has one of the highest prevalence rates of asthma in the world.
·15% of adults and 20% of children aged 6-14 have asthma.
·Which means 1 in 6 New Zealanders - around 600,000 people in New Zealand, have asthma.
·The indirect cost of asthma – including days of work lost, loss of healthy life due to disability and premature death - is around $700 million per year.
·Severe asthma is common – up to 8% of teenagers and 10%
·Asthma is the highest-ranking specific disease in terms of Years Lost to Disability in males, and third highest for females.
Want more... can't get enough stats and facts???... this is what we said last year on our blog about asthma...
