World Asthma Day 2022: Closing Gaps in Asthma Care

Overview

World Asthma Day (WAD) is organized by the Global Initiative for Asthma, (GINA), a WHO collaborative organization founded in 1993.  WAD is held each May to raise awareness of Asthma worldwide.

WAD 2022

GINA has chosen ‘Closing Gaps in Asthma Care’ as the theme for the 2022 World Asthma Day.

There are a number of gaps in asthma care which require intervention in order to reduce preventable suffering as well as the costs incurred by treating uncontrolled asthma.

Current gaps in asthma care include:

• in equal access to diagnosis and treatment (medicine)
• between care for different socioeconomic, ethnic and age groups
• between wealthy and poorer communities and countries;
• in communication and care across the primary/secondary/tertiary care interface
• in communication and education provided for people with asthma, (quality of asthma care plans vs)
• in asthma knowledge and asthma awareness between health care providers
• in prioritization between asthma and other long term conditions
• between prescribing inhalers and monitoring adherence and ability to use these devices;
• exist for the general public’s (non-asthmatics) and health care professional’s awareness and understanding that asthma is a chronic (not acute) disease.
• between scientific evidence and actual delivery of care for people with asthma.

More info: Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA)

Key facts 

• Asthma is one of the major noncommunicable diseases. It is a chronic disease of the the air passages of the lungs which inflames and narrows them.
• Some 235 million people currently suffer from asthma. It is a common disease among children.
• Most asthma-related deaths occur in low- and lower-middle income countries.
• According to the latest WHO estimates, released in December 2016, there were 383000 deaths due to asthma in 2015.
• The strongest risk factors for developing asthma are inhaled substances and particles that may provoke allergic reactions or irritate the airways.
• Medication can control asthma. Avoiding asthma triggers can also reduce the severity of asthma.
• Appropriate management of asthma can enable people to enjoy a good quality of life.

WHO FACT SHEET (31 August 2017)