FB Live Interview with Dr. Jagdish Chinnappa, Dr. Raja Dhar, Priyadarshini Chatterjee and Hetal Kamdar

One of the most alarming asthma facts is that more than 37 million Indians suffer from it.

After achieving our goal of creating awareness about asthma with the first phase of our campaign, we at Cipla recently launched the second phase of our #BerokZindagi campaign with the core message being "Asthma ke liye, #InhalerHainSahi".

The campaign was kicked off with the release of a digital film anchored by Radhika Apte - a non-asthmatic who addressed the key issues and myths that hinder the appropriate treatment of asthma. One of the major reasons for this move was to ensure that non-asthmatics are aware about and are more supportive of those who suffer from it. The film also featured Vikas Khanna, Arjuna Awardee Parupalli Kashyap and Shristi Dixit, all of whom are asthmatics. The film aimed to create awareness amongst non-asthmatics in an attempt to stop the stigmatization of the condition.

Living in one of the most polluted cities in India, the film struck a chord with Barkha Dutt who we thought was the perfect host for the FB Live Interview Event. The interview featured Dr. Jagdish Chinnappa - a pediatrician who is the Bangalore Chairperson of the Respiratory Chapter - Indian Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. Raja Dhar - a pulmonologist who is the Governing Council Member of the Indian Chest Society, Priyadarshini Chatterjee - an asthmatic who was Femina Miss India World 2016 and Hetal Kamdar - the mother of an asthmatic child.

During the interview, the panellists discussed a range of topics related to asthma. A lot of attention was given to the myths that surround inhalers and how it has prevented people, especially children, from availing the proper treatment. The causes of asthma were briefly touched upon and the social effects that asthma has on a person and their family were discussed in detail during the interview. Each panellist strongly advocated for the use of inhalers. They focused on the benefits of the regular use of inhalers and spoke about how important it was to adhere to the prescription given by the doctor for the better management of the condition.

The interview was a fantastic way to create awareness about the need for inhalers and the stigmatization that usually comes in between an asthmatic and the appropriate treatment required to manage the condition.

Barkha Dutt ended the interview by going over the key points that were mentioned during the discussion. She laid special emphasis on the right to the use of inhalers, regardless of the age of the asthmatic. She also pointed out how important it was for an asthmatic to go to the doctor for regular check-ups.

The interview was well received by the audience and received more than 36,000 views, 2,500 likes, 580 comments and 265 shares.

If you would like to know more about asthma and inhalers or know someone who would be interested in the same, you can watch the full interview here.