What is Cystic Fibrosis?

• Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is one of the UK's most common life-threatening inherited diseases.

• It is caused by a faulty gene that controls the movement of salt and water in and out of the cells within the body.

• Cystic Fibrosis affects the internal organs, especially the lungs and digestive system, by clogging them with thick sticky mucus. This makes it hard to breathe and digest food.

• Over 9,000 people in the UK have Cystic Fibrosis.

• If two carriers have a child, the baby has a 1 in 4 chance of having Cystic Fibrosis.

• Over two million people in the UK carry the faulty gene that causes Cystic Fibrosis - around 1 in 25 of the population.

• Over 95% of the UK CF population is Caucasian, but CF affects many ethnic groups.

• Each week, five babies are born with Cystic Fibrosis.

• Each week, two young lives are lost to Cystic Fibrosis.

• Currently half of the CF population will live past 41 years of age, and improvements in treatments mean a baby born today is expected to live even longer.