World Asthma Day is celebrated across the globe on May 3. The day is set aside to raise awareness about asthma and how those battling the condition can best equip themselves. It is a long-term inflammatory disease that affects the airways of the lungs and can cause symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. While asthma cannot be cured permanently, it can be controlled to an extent that the symptoms become negligible and can be appropriately managed by patients. As per the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly 15 to 20 million people in India suffer from asthma, which includes patients from every age group (as of 2021).
World Asthma Day is organised by the Global Initiative for Asthma. GINA is a World Health Organization collaborative organization that was founded in 1993. For the 2022 World Asthma Day, GINA has chosen ‘Closing Gaps in Asthma Care' as the theme.
Significance
World Asthma Day is aimed at bridging the gaps in asthma care. While timely intervention can help address “preventable suffering”, it is not often extended to all patients. Therefore, the day is set aside to address issues such as “equal access to diagnosis and treatment (medicine).” Emphasis is also on improving asthma-related communication and educating people with the condition about their various treatment options.
According to GINA, efforts are made to ensure that international respiratory communities work together with patients and health care providers to implement asthma care solutions both, locally and globally.
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