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World Asthma Day
World Asthma Day 2007 was 1 May. In collaboration
with the Asthma Drug Facility (ADF), the International Union Against
Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) encouraged all its partners
and members to advocate for global, country and local efforts to make
people know that they can control their asthma.
ADF communication:
All health professionals should be able to say to their patients “You can control your asthma!”
It is now estimated that as many as 300 million people of all ages, and all ethnic backgrounds, suffer from asthma and the
burden of this disease to governments, health care systems, families, and
patients, is increasing.
However, there is an affordable and effective solution:
- Standardised, long-term asthma management in the general health services.
- Essential asthma medicines that are affordable for patients.
- Peak flow meters in your health services.
- An information system for the evaluation of care.
- Training of health care providers in education and patient self-management so that patients can control their asthma.
To allow patients to control their asthma, health care providers should discuss asthma with their patients and establish a self-management plan together. Patients need to know:
- what their symptoms are and how their asthma affects them;
- which medicines to take, how they work, and when and how to take them;
- what triggers their asthma and how they can try to avoid triggers;
- what to do in case of deterioration or attack and where to seek help when their asthma is not under control;
- how to monitor their asthma themselves and when to consult their health care provider for follow-up;
- whether there are asthma patient associations or support groups nearby.
How The Union helps patients control their
asthma
Adequate management of asthma in low- and middle-income countries
is compromised by a number of factors such as lack of ongoing care
appropriate for this chronic disease or poor education about asthma
for patients and their families. But the main barrier in low-income
countries is the lack of access to drugs – they are often highly
priced or not readily available.
The Union has been advocating for better drug access for asthma sufferers
in low-income countries for several years. The Union 's Asthma Division
was established in 1995 and is active in technical assistance, education
and research. http://www.iuatld.org/full_picture/en/about/divisions/division_asthma.phtml
The Union is working to make “controlling your own asthma” possible
in all countries around the world. In particular:
- The Union publishes a Guide: Management of Asthma - A Guide to the Essentials
of Good Clinical Practice. It recommends effective measures for implementation
in the general health services. The 3rd edition of this Guide will be available
mid-2007.
- The Union can provide technical assistance, with materials for training
and monitoring.
- The Union has been undertaking research on the implementation of standardised
asthma management, emergency room practices, and access to asthma medicines
in low- and middle-income settings. It has been involved in ISAAC (International
Study of Asthma and Allergy in Childhood) since 1995.
- The Union has established an Asthma Drug Facility (ADF).
The World Health Organization, and other partners in asthma control have
strongly supported this new initiative. The ADF aims
to lower the cost of essential asthma medicines, making them affordable for
millions of asthma sufferers currently living without treatment.
World Asthma Day 2008
What you can do:
Hold a World Asthma Day event in your country
World Asthma Day is an annual event promoted by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) that works with health care
professionals and public health officials around the world to reduce asthma prevalence, morbidity, and mortality.
For more resources, press releases and Newsletter, you can register on the GINA website:
http://www.ginasthma.com/WADIndex.asp
Recording and sharing World Asthma Day
Take photos that show your "World Asthma Day" in your country. Write down and send
us any
public declarations made about asthma by your health authorities; or calls for
action from patient groups; or statements by professional societies. To
view examples of national activities in 2007, browse http://www.globaladf.org/index/voices
Further resources in asthma management from
The Union: Union
Asthma Division page
Reproduction of any Union documents for
commercial purposes is strictly prohibited.
Conditions of use
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