Empowering Breaths: World Asthma Day 2024 Focuses on Education
Every year on the first Tuesday of May, we come together to raise awareness about asthma on World Asthma Day (WAD). This year, on May 7th, 2024, the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) unveils a powerful theme: “Asthma Education Empowers.”
This theme underscores the critical role of education in empowering individuals with asthma to take control of their health. With the right knowledge, people with asthma can effectively manage their condition, recognize warning signs, and seek timely medical intervention when needed.
The Burden of Asthma: A Global Challenge
Asthma remains a significant global health concern. Affecting over 260 million people worldwide, it tragically claims over 450,000 lives annually, with most deaths being preventable. Knowledge is key to reversing this trend.
Education: Empowering Individuals and Healthcare Professionals
GINA’s theme emphasizes two key aspects of education:
Empowering individuals with asthma: This involves equipping them with the knowledge to manage their symptoms, understand their triggers, and use their inhalers effectively. This empowers them to live active and fulfilling lives.
Empowering healthcare professionals: By staying updated on the latest asthma management strategies and recognizing the ongoing burden of preventable morbidity and mortality, healthcare professionals can provide their patients with the most reliable information and optimal treatment plans.
Key Areas for Educational Focus
Several areas require particular attention when it comes to asthma education:
Accurate Diagnosis and Management: Misdiagnosis and under-diagnosis of asthma are prevalent. Educational efforts must address proper diagnosis procedures and ensure access to effective treatments.
Optimizing Inhaler Use: Improper inhaler technique can significantly reduce the effectiveness of medication. Educational initiatives should equip patients with the necessary skills to use their inhalers correctly. This includes understanding the difference between controller medications, such as inhaled corticosteroids, and relievers, like short-acting beta2-agonists (SABA) inhalers.
Recognizing the Need for Specialist Care: In some cases, patients with asthma require specialized management. Education can assist patients in identifying situations where they should seek expert evaluation from a healthcare professional.
A Global Call to Action
The burden of asthma disproportionately falls on low- and middle-income countries, where access to essential medications like inhaled corticosteroids might be limited. This contributes to the shocking statistic that over 90% of asthma deaths occur in these regions.
World Asthma Day 2024 calls for a global commitment:
Policymakers: Recognizing the preventable nature of asthma-related deaths, policymakers must strive for improved access to affordable and environmentally friendly inhaled medications, ensuring “no-one is left behind.”
Pharmaceutical Industry: Efforts are needed to ensure the availability of affordable and effective asthma medications in all countries.
Education is the cornerstone of effective asthma management. By empowering individuals with asthma and healthcare professionals alike, we can create a world where everyone can breathe freely.
Let’s work together to turn this vision into reality!
By Emeka Ihedilionye
References
Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA). (n.d.). Reports. https://ginasthma.org/reports/
Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA). (2024, April 10). World Asthma Day 2024. https://ginasthma.org/world-asthma-day-2024/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, April 04). World Asthma Day. https://www.cdc.gov/asthma/world_asthma_day.htm
International Primary Care Respiratory Group. (n.d.). World Asthma Day 2024 — Asthma Education Empowers. https://www.ipcrg.org/conferences/world-asthma-day-2024-asthma-education-empowers
Masjedi, M., FitzGerald, J. M., & Bateman, E. D. (n.d.). The global burden of asthma: executive summary of the GINA Dissemination Committee report. http://globalasthmareport.org/burden/burden.php
