the uk has more cases of asthma than any other country in Europe and is among the worst affected in the world. According to a report by the uk 's National Asthma Campaign, at least one in seven children aged under 16, and one in 25 adults suffer from asthma, totalling 3.4 million people. Only Australia and New Zealand have a higher proportion of diagnosed sufferers.

One possible cause for the rise in asthma is changes in the living environment, such as the introduction of central heating and fitted carpets which harbour house dust mites. But doctors are not able to ascertain the cause for the rise of asthma cases. They are not sure whether the rise is a genuine increase or the result of better diagnosis and increasing awareness.