World Asthma Day

Ethnic differences in asthma frequency, illness and death are highly connected with poverty, city air quality, indoor allergens, not enough patient education and poor health care. The rate of asthma and the prevalence of asthma attacks is highest among Puerto Ricans compared to all ethnic groups. 6 Asthma is 80 percent higher in Puerto Ricans than whites. 4 About 3 million Hispanics in the U.S. have asthma. 6 African American children have recently seen the greatest rise in asthma. One in 6 African American children have asthma. 7 African Americans are three times more likely to stay in the hospital from asthma. 8 African Americans are three times more likely to die from asthma. More African American women have died from asthma than any other group.7, 8 Sixteen percent of African American children have asthma. Eight percent of white children have asthma. 4 African Americans visit the emergency room for asthma 330 percent more than whites. They have 220 percent more hospital stays for asthma than whites. (See AAFA’s groundbreaking research report on Disparities in Asthma Care. It was published with the National Pharmaceutical Council.)

World Asthma Day is an annual event organized by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) to improve asthma awareness and care around the world. World Asthma Day takes place on the first Tuesday of May.

The inaugural World Asthma Day was held in 1998.

GINA was launched in 1993 in collaboration with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, USA, and the World Health Organization.

GINA work with health care professionals and public health officials around the world to reduce asthma prevalence, morbidity, and mortality.

Through resources such as evidence-based strategy documents for asthma management, and events such as the annual celebration of World Asthma Day, GINA is working to improve the lives of people with asthma in every corner of the globe.

Source: ginasthma.org | aafa.org

In 2020 World Asthma Day in USA falls on May 5.