World Asthma Day (WAD) (May 3, 2022) is organized by the Global Initiative for Asthma, (GINA) (www.ginasthma.org), a World Health Organization collaborative organization founded in 1993. WAD is held each May to raise awareness of Asthma worldwide.Although asthma cannot be cured, it is possible to manage asthma to reduce and prevent asthma attacks, also called episodes or exacerbations.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.
World Pneumonia Day is annually held on November 12 to raise awareness of pneumonia, promote prevention and treatment, and generate action to fight the illness.
