Today is World Asthma Day

World Asthma Day is an annual event, held the first Tuesday in May, organized by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA). GINA was launched in 1993

Today is World Asthma Day. This year’s theme is “You Can Control Your Asthma.” Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases in the world affecting more than 300 million people worldwide. Asthma experts say that with proper treatment most asthma patients can achieve good control of their disease. “Asthma does not have to limit your daily life,” says Eric Bateman, MD, Chair of the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) Executive Committee. “Asthma control means no, or very minimal, symptoms, and very infrequent asthma attacks. A person whose asthma is under control can go to work or school, exercise, and participate fully in life.” The leadership of GINA, which organizes World Asthma Day, is calling for increased efforts at asthma diagnosis, education, and treatment to enable more asthma sufferers to reach the goal of controlling their disease. A strategy for achieving and maintaining asthma control is set out in the GINA Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention. The strategy requires four interrelated components of therapy: 1 Global Burden of Asthma Report, 2004. Available from: http://www.ginasthma.org. • Develop patient/doctor partnership. • Identify and reduce exposure to risk factors. • Assess, treat, and monitor asthma. • Manage asthma exacerbations. . “Despite asthma’s importance as a very common childhood disease, there are many gaps in our knowledge of how to diagnose and manage asthma in children,” says Soren Pedersen, MD, a pediatrician and member of the GINA Executive Committee. “Diagnosis of asthma is especially difficult in young children, under the age of 5. In addition, there is a lack of evidence about what treatment options are most effective in young patients.” World Asthma Day is an annual event, held the first Tuesday in May, organized by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA). GINA was launched in 1993 to work with healthcare professionals and public health officials around the world to reduce the burden of asthma.