World Asthma Day is an annual event organized by the global initiative for asthma (gina) to improve asthma awareness and care around the world. It is also to raise awareness, care and support for those people who are affected by asthma. World asthma day takes place on the first Tuesday of May. The theme of 2012\’s event was \”you can control your asthma\”.the inaugural world asthma day was held in 1998.
History
World Asthma Day was established in 1998 and over 35 countries were involved. The day is supported by the organisation gina, which works with health care groups around the globe to help raise awareness. However, gina is an initiative taken by the us-based national heart, lung and blood institute (NHLBI). Also, the wad is supported by the World Asthma Foundation (WAF). During this day, the asthma patients were made aware of the safety measurements they can take to help them cope with their condition.
How is celebrated
As, on 1st Tuesday of may world asthma day is celebrated annually, so may month is considered as an asthma awareness month.
To encourage the people to take care of their asthma “national asthma education and prevention program (NAEPP)” is organised.
- those who are suffering from asthma are encouraged to write an asthma action plan (AAP) like what medication and facility they want to take care of asthma disease.
- NAEPP’s biggest step is app taken to bring together the clinicians, patients and others who take care of the asthmatic patients to work together jointly in order to seize control over asthma.
- Some activities that are performed:
- to start with the best treatment asthma-free check-up camps are organised.
- in the required areas new asthma clinics and pharmacies are opened.
- in several countries, asthma societies celebrate world asthma day on a national level.
- through tv channel and news channels, various awareness messages are distributed like “fighting asthma with every breath”.
- several schools provide classes to spread awareness about asthma disease, its symptoms, precautions and preventions.
- for the awareness of the public asthma posters, banners are distributed in many areas.
- We have seen that asthma is a chronic lung disorder and if we take proper precaution it can be controlled. To spread awareness among people on 1st may world asthma day is celebrated worldwide.
What is asthma?
Asthma is a chronic lung disease that causes breathing difficulties. It is caused by swelling and inflammation of the bronchial tubes that sometimes leads to allergens, stress or changes in temperature. Some of the major symptoms of asthma include breathlessness, coughing, wheezing and a feeling of tightness in the chest. As per doctors, the symptoms can vary according to the frequency and severity of the disease. The disease is not usually curable but can be controlled to some extent. Also, proper and definite education and understanding are keys to controlling asthma effectively.
Significance of the day
A global asthma report of 2018 revealed that approximately 1000 people globally die every day owing to asthma. It is also estimated that asthma affects around 339 million individuals every year. Unfortunately, the disease remains undiagnosed and untreated in most of the kids, leading to their death. And sadly, the prevalence of asthma is increasing day by day. The world asthma day is a global effort to improve asthma awareness and care around the world to prevent death due to the disease.
In 2020
Amid the outbreak of COVID’19, gina has decided to postpone their promotion of world asthma day 2020 until they issue a new notice. As stated by many respiratory health advocates, this time the sharing of information for asthma patients will be given done online. The first world asthma day was celebrated in Barcelona, Spain in the year 1998. It was celebrated in more than 35 countries in association with the organisation. Reportedly, the number of participants has been increasing with each year since then. The main aim of this day is to raise awareness about asthma and how it affects people.
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