Around nine percent of the people of Patuakhali, Bhola, Laxmipur, Noakhali, Feni and Cox's Bzar districts have become susceptible to asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases (COPD) due to heavy 'indoor pollution'.

Usually, people of big cities like Dhaka are exposed to asthma because of massive air pollution and industrial and automobile exhaust. But recently, coastal areas have marked a sharp rise in asthma cases due to growing number of lung infections, allergy and pneumonia, sources said.

The average number of asthma cases in Dhaka and Chittagong cities remain around 4.1 per cent, while it crossed nine per cent in coastal areas this year, Dr Rahsidul Hassan, General Secretary of Asthma Association, told BSS.

Penumonia was the only respiratory disease in these areas, but bronchiolities and asthma are now included in the list. Asthma and COPD have become a great concern as around 55 per cent of such patients die, he said.

Dr Asif Muztaba Mahmood of the Institute of Diseases of Chest and Hospital (IDCH) said 'indoor pollution' is very high in coastal belt, while the outdoor pollution was minimal compared to cities.

Referring to a study he said smoking, inhalation of smoke from cooking burners and fluctuation of temperature owing to cyclone and storms contribute significantly to the spread of child asthma in the areas.

Some doctors say childhood penumonia, bronchitis and indiscriminate use of antibioltics are the main reasons for asthma.

Out of seven million asthmatics including four million children in Bangladesh, 4,000 die every year. Modern treatment, which is available in the country now, could prevent 80 per cent of deaths, sources said.