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Written By: Editorial Team | Published : May 7, 2019 10:55 AM IST
This global initiative provides a platform for pulmonologists, researchers, and community health groups to come together and participate in the collaborative actions needed to address the rising burden of asthma. © Shutterstock
Asthma is a lung disorder with a high morbidity rate all across the world. According to the estimates of The Global Asthma Report 2018, internationally, 1000 people die every day due to asthma and this condition affects 339 million individuals. This 88-page report by the Global Asthma Network, a collaboration between the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) and the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union), was prepared with the help of 53 experts from all over the world. While this report gives us the global scenario of this respiratory disorder, the World Health Organisation (WHO) states that it is a chronic ailment most common among kids. According to the WHO, asthma is an under-diagnosed, under-treated disease and 80 per cent deaths that it leads to are from low and lower-middle income countries.
These facts and figures are a call to action for sure. They reflect the urgent necessity of mass awareness programmes on asthma all over the world. This is the reason why World Asthma Day is celebrated globally on the first Tuesday of the month of May. This global campaign was launched way back in 1998 by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), a medical guidelines organisation established in 1993. This day was celebrated in more than 35 countries in 1998 after GINA's first "World Asthma Meeting" in the Barcelona. In 2019, 7th May is being celebrated as the World Asthma Day. This global initiative provides a platform for pulmonologists, researchers, pharmacists, patients, educators and community health groups to come together and participate in the collaborative actions needed to address the rising burden of asthma.
Like all other important health days, World Asthma Day is celebrated with a theme every year. This year, the theme is STOP For Asthma. STOP stands for Symptom Evaluation, Test Response, Observe and Proceed to Adjust Treatment. Here are some of the the previous themes of this special day:
2000 : Everyone normal breathing
2001: Unite to overcome asthma
2002: Understanding asthma
2003: Reducing the asthma burden
2004: Emphasis on asthma, reduce the burden of asthma
2005 and 2006: The Unmet Needs of Asthma
2007-2015: You Can Control Your Asthma (The sub-theme in 2015 was It's Time to Control Asthma
2016: You Can Control Your Asthma
2017: Allergy and Asthma
2018: Better air better breathing
Every year, GINA organizes a number of programmes along with healthcare communities, NGOs, government organisations and caregivers in order to spread awareness about asthma. Mass awareness will help people diagnose their symptoms early on and access medical intervention at the right time. WHO also works closely with GINA to celebrate World Asthma Day. Here is a list of GINA's suggests to various organisations and communities about how they can educate more people about this condition and make the celebration of World Asthma Day more meaningful this year.
As we celebrate World Asthma Day today, here is a bird's eye view on this pulmonary condition that affects millions globally. Asthma manifests itself through frequent episodes of breathlessness, discomfort in chest, cough and wheezing. The lining of the airways get swollen during an asthma attack. This narrows down your air passage obstructing air flow to the lungs. Though experts haven't yet been able to exactly pinpoint the cause behind asthma, genetic factors, lifestyle habits like smoking and exposure to environmental pollutions and toxins are considered to be the risk factors. Cough and cold caused by viruses and bacteria, stress, pollens, and certain medications can trigger an attack in asthma patients. This condition can be detected with X-rays, pulmonary function tests and an analysis of your clinical history. You can keep your lungs healthy and prevent asthma attack episodes by following healthy eating habits, practising breathing exercises and staying away from your triggers. Though there is no cure for asthma, the symptoms of the disease are controlled by oral medications and inhalers.
