World Asthma day will be observed on 7th May across the world including Pakistan to raise awareness of asthma and improve asthma care throughout the world. World Asthma Day takes place each year on the first Tuesday in May. Organised by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) to improve asthma awareness and care around the world.
The Day 2013 theme is "You Can Control Your Asthma." However, this year GINA will also introduce a sub-theme, "It's Time to Control Asthma." People encourage activity organisers around the world to complete the sentence, "It's Time to..." as relevant to their event and target audience.
The first World Asthma Day, in 1998, was celebrated in more than 35 countries. Participation has increased with each World Asthma Day since then, making it one of the world's most important asthma awareness and education events. Asthma was a common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterised by variable and recurring symptoms reversible airflow obstruction and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing coughing chest tightness and shortness of breath.
As of 2010 300 million people were affected world-wide. In 2009 asthma caused 250,000 deaths globally. Despite this with proper control of asthma with step down therapy prognosis is generally good.
Asthma occurs in almost all countries regardless level of development however over 80 percent of asthma deaths occur in low and middle-income countries.