Climatotherapy

Reportage on the Jeunes Pousses, a follow-up care and pneumo-pediatric rehabilitation unit specializing in climate therapy for asthma. The center is located in Brianon, France's highest town, which is part of WHO's Healthy Cities programme. At this altitude the oxygen partial pressure is reduced which has a positive effect on the cardio-vascular system. The concentration of allergens is also reduced. Brianon is one of the top places for high-altitude climate therapy due to its hours of sunlight, almost total lack of fog, its very low hygrometry, its almost total lack of dust mites, the scarcity of damp, its short pollen season and a very low levels of pollution. Romane, 12, suffers from asthma and comes from Lyon. She arrived at the Jeunes Pousses this year. Since she arrived her illness has stabilized. The children spend the morning and evening in the infirmary. Each child takes a spirometry test before their medication and must note down their forced vital capacity in order to track its evolution. (Photo by: BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)