May 5: World Asthma Day

Every year, on May 5, World Asthma Day is organized by Global Initiative for Asthma. It aims to increase awareness about asthma. The day is observed on first Tuesday of May every year. The World Asthma Day is observed under the theme

Theme: Enough Asthma Deaths

Need

According to the WHO, around 235 million people are suffering from asthma all over the world. It is one of the non-communicable disease. Asthma is the most common disease in children.

Global Initiative for asthma

The Global Initiative for asthma was launched in 1993 under the collaboration of World Health Organization, National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. It provides medical guidelines under which public health officials and health workers spread all over the world.

Asthma in India

In India around 6% of children and 2% of adults are affected due to asthma. In India Asthma is under treated and under diagnosed.

History

The first World Asthma Day was celebrated in 1998 in more than 35 countries. The first World Asthma Day was celebrated in conjunction with the World Asthma Meeting in Spain and Barcelona.

Month: Current Affairs - May, 2020