The Global Impact of Asthma

Asthma is a respitory disease that is characterized by the inflammation of the airways (bronchi) which causes recurring episodes of the sensatation of the lack of air (dyspnea), whistles in the chest during respiration (wheezing), a cough and tightness in the chest. The respitory function tests (spiromatry) in the moment of a crisis demonstrates the airflow obstruction that significantly improves, if not completely with a bronchodilator. (University Clinic of Navarra)

In celebration of World Asthma Day, the world initiative for Asthma (GINA) has revealed the results of the Report about the Global Impact of Asthma. The investigation highlights the work of this disease that is directly related to what we understand today as the development of countries.

The growth rate has accelerated in Recent times which reflects the 25% increase of asthma cases in the United States each decade since the 70's, and a prevalence rate of 10.9% withtin the population, making this country the third largest in number of cases after the United Kingdom (15.3%) and Canada (14.1%). The country which has produced the greatest increase in cases is Australia, where 25% of children now suffer from the sickness. Spain, where 5.7% of residents are affected, is situated below Germany and France, but above Italy.

The relationship between the increased prevelance of the disease and urbanization reveals a predicatbale increase of the impact of asthma if taken into consdieration the expected increase in the worlds urban population being 45% now and 59% in 2025. GINA has expressed, before this data, the necessity of communicating all around the world a call of attention to both patients and professionals to reduce the impact of asthma, and explained that this disease is a sufficiently important enough problem to be considered as a priority in sanitary politics in all governments around the world.

Alongside the lack of information and economic problems, the lack of specialists and strategies based off symptoms, the organization has indicated that in order to reduce the impact of astham there are environmental barriers such as contamination of air, tobacco smoke, and occupational exposure. The slogan of World Day of Asthma this year will be The impact of Asthma and, alongside the reuqired actions needed to mitigate the forseeable increase, GINA considers how to facilitate access to medicatins, recognizing the sickness as an important cause of death, promoting programs to reduce tobacco consumption, integrating international respitory directives and investigating the causes of this pathology. (Adapted from www.diariomedico.com) Temas de salud Editorial Edinumen, 2009 pp. 84-86 (Health Themes Edinumen Editorial, 2009 pp 84-86)?

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