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British children more likely to die from asthma than anywhere else in Europe

Children have nearly triple the death rates of asthma than the next worst country 
Children have nearly triple the death rates of asthma than the next worst country

British children are far more likely to die from asthma than anywhere else in Europe, and the demise of the school nurse could be to blame, experts fear.

The new report, from The Nuffield Trust and the Association for Young People's Health (AYPH), found that the mortality rate in the UK is approximately twice as high as that of the next worst country in Europe, Ireland.

Around one child dies for every 400,000 in Britain from asthma compared to fewer than one in a million youngsters in Ireland.

Ann Hagell, Research Lead at AYPH said that youngsters were not being taught how to manage their condition effectively.

“There are some 32,000 schools in Britain but only around 1,500 school nurses which is alarmingly low.

“When I was at school there was always a nurse on hand if you were sick but cuts to health budgets have seen them disappear so they simply aren’t there to help children learn how to look after themselves properly, particularly as they move towards adulthood and their parent are less involved in their healthcare.”

Dr Samantha Walker, Director of Research and Policy at Asthma UK, added: “It is appalling that young people in the UK are more likely to die from asthma compared to their peers in other developed countries.

“Lack of basic asthma care, difficulty in getting a GP appointment and complacency around asthma could all be to blame.”

The wide ranging report which compared the lives of 10 to 24-year-olds in the UK with those of young people in 18 other countries found the UK is lagging behind on some key markers of health.

British youngsters are more likely to be obese, suffer poverty and have a longstanding illness than youngsters in other countries, according to the findings.

The study also found that England has the highest proportion of young people aged 16 to 24 living with a longstanding health condition, rising from 13.5 per cent of this age group in 2008 to 18.5 per cent in 2016.

This is higher than in other European countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Greece and Spain.

Of 19 countries researched overall, the UK also had the highest rate of girls aged 15 to 19 giving birth, apart from New Zealand and the US.

There are also more teenagers aged 15 to 19 in the UK not in education, employment or training (known as Neets).

Researchers said some of the health indicators in the UK are getting worse, including obesity, longstanding illness and exercise levels.

Nuffield Trust chief executive Nigel Edwards said: "More than ever, young people are holding up their side of the bargain, with more of them choosing to smoke and drink less, yet our health system seems to be getting something badly wrong. I worry this reflects a dangerous complacency.

"Young people in the UK are entering adulthood with more long-term health conditions and, as a result, a poorer quality of life, storing up problems further down the line.

"If we don't take action now, the next generation will be entering adulthood sicker than the one before it."