Cipla’s ongoing #BerokZindagi campaign has been very well received and has proved to be essential in the current Indian scenario. The campaign has been tackling the social stigma surrounding asthma and inhalation therapy, educating patients about the benefits of the same and enabling them to live a Berok Zindagi.
Asthma is a common respiratory disease, which is quite prevalent around the world. Globally, asthma is ranked 16th among the leading causes of years lived with disability and 28th among the leading causes of burden of disease. Among India’s 1.31 billion people, about 6% of children and 2% of adults have asthma. One of the biggest reasons for the same is the growing urbanisation, which brings with itself industrial pollution, vehicle emissions and burning of waste in the open. In such an environment, it is no surprise that there is such a huge number of people suffering from asthma in India alone.
Another reason plaguing the country is the fact that we have not accepted inhalers as a method to treat breathing problems and we associate various myths with the device. Many believe that inhalers are habit forming and strong medicines, and hence stay away from it.
A large number of patients in India still consider asthma a stigma and therefore conceal the disease. The few patients who opt for treatment, take it only when their symptoms are intolerable, and stop when symptoms subside. These barriers have made it necessary for regular patient education programmes to take place.
This is exactly why Cipla’s ‘Berok Zindagi’ campaign is the need of the hour. The fact that the brand got Priyanka Chopra onboard to spread the message, recounting her own personal experience with the disease has worked wonders as well. We are more accepting of measures when someone we know has benefited from it, and Priyanka Chopra being amongst the most influential people in the world has really helped the cause of the campaign.
It is important for someone to take a step forward and take the initiative of increasing public awareness, and dispelling myths associated with it. Cipla placed patients at the core of their initiatives and demonstrated how asthmatics can live a fulfilling life by seeking correct treatment at an early stage. #BerokZindagi has successfully been busting myths and has helped in increasing the acceptance of inhalation therapy as the most effective medication for asthma.
Data published by Global Asthma Network in The Global Asthma Report 2018
