Every 26 minutes, a person in Ireland visits an Emergency Department (ED) because of asthma and one person dies every week as a result of the condition, the Asthma Society of Ireland (ASI) has said.

According to the society, Ireland has the fourth highest incidence of asthma in the world. Some 470,000 people are affected here, including one in every five children.

As estimated 300 million people worldwide are affected and this figure is expected to grow by 100 million by 2025. Globally, around 250,000 people die every year from asthma, however almost all of these deaths are preventable, the society insisted.

It is appealing to people with the condition to ensure they have an asthma plan in place, because those without a plan are four times more likely to end up in hospital.

"The most proactive step that anyone with asthma can take is to put a personal asthma action plan in place. Studies have shown that having an asthma action plan reduces hospital admissions and emergency room visits. We find that 79% of visitors to our asthma nurse clinics did not have an action plan in place," commented ASI chief executive, Sharon Cosgrove.

She made her comments to coincide with World Asthma Day (May 5).

The ASI has partnered with Boots Ireland to help raise awareness of the importance of asthma control. People can avail of a free asthma consultation this month to help them manage their condition better.

People can also avail of the ASI's Asthma Adviceline, which offers support and advice - call 1850 44 54 64 - or see the ASI's website here

More information on asthma is also available from the Irishhealth.com Asthma Clinic, which was developed in association with the ASI. Click here