Priyanka Chopra partners with Cipla to raise awareness about asthma

Actress Priyanka Chopra is the face of Cipla Respiratory, which provides inhaler pump to those suffering from asthma. Chopra herself has struggled with the long-term inflammatory disease since she was a young girl. She joined the global pharmaceutical company to raise awareness about the worldwide condition for fellow patients.

The campaign called Berok Zindagi is an initiative to raise awareness about asthma and 'debunk the social stigma related to its treatment'.

In an interview with the newspaper, The Telegraph, Chopra stated that “asthma is a completely manageable condition”.  She went on to say that there were misconceptions surrounding the disease and it was important to understand it and “fortify yourself with the knowledge on how to keep it in check”.

As a young girl, the actress has had a habit of doing steam inhalation and using hot water every morning. She has worked with her condition her whole life.

“Most people who are around me know I have asthma. It’s not something that I hide at all. Sometimes after stage shows I need my inhaler. When I’m around dust, I need my inhaler. So everybody around me definitely knows I have asthma,” Chopra said.

Additionally, she went on to stress that she has controlled her asthma, and not let it control her.  

“I have achieved everything that I have today, despite and in spite of having asthma. And there have been numerous occasions, whether I’m in India or in America, or wherever else in the world I am, that I use my inhaler in front of everyone openly, and no one even gives me a look. It’s literally like, when you have a headache you take a pill and that’s nothing to be ashamed of. So don’t let asthma define you,” she shared, dispelling notions of being embarrassed about using an inhaler.

The actress has been using Cipla’s inhalers since childhood and it was organic that she came on board as a partner with the pharma company. “It just felt real, and I really wanted to educate people on what asthma is,” she said.