CHESTPress ReleasesClosing gaps in asthma care

Closing gaps in asthma care

World Asthma Day 2022

May 3, 2022

This World Asthma Day, May 3, 2022, the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS), of which the American College of Chest Physicians^® (CHEST) is a founding member, calls on international respiratory communities to work together with colleagues, patients and health care providers to close the gaps in asthma care.

Although asthma cannot be cured, it is possible to manage it to reduce and prevent asthma attacks or exacerbations.

There are a number of gaps in asthma care which require intervention to reduce preventable suffering, as well as the costs incurred by treating uncontrolled asthma. Inequity in access to diagnosis and effective treatment remains a major issue globally.

Current gaps in asthma care include:

Inequity in care discrepancies between different socioeconomic groups, populations and ages
Lack of access and affordability of recommended inhaled medication globally
Communication and care across primary/secondary/tertiary care
Education provided for people with asthma and quality of asthma care plans

Asthma knowledge and asthma awareness between health care providers
Scientific evidence and actual delivery of care for people with asthma

Global Initiative for Asthma’s (GINA) regularly updated and evidence-based strategy documents can help to address these disparities. However, implementing recommendations based on scientific evidence is challenging—not all local solutions are applicable globally, and, similarly, global recommendations may not be applicable locally.

The challenge posed by this year’s theme is for international respiratory communities to work together to identify and close the gaps in asthma care and to help implement and share innovative solutions locally and globally.

Find out more about World Asthma Day awareness-raising activities at www.ginasthma.org.

About the Forum of International Respiratory Societies

The Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS) is an organisation comprised of the world's leading international respiratory societies working together to improve lung health globally: American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST), American Thoracic Society (ATS), Asian Pacific Society of Respirology (APSR), Asociación Latinoamericana de Tórax (ALAT), European Respiratory Society (ERS), International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union), Pan African Thoracic Society (PATS), Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) and the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD).

The goal of FIRS is to unify and enhance efforts to improve lung health through the combined work of its more than 70,000 members globally. For more information about FIRS, contact Fiona Salter, fional.salter@firsnet.org.

About the American College of Chest Physicians^®

The American College of Chest Physicians^® (CHEST) is the global leader in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of chest diseases. Its mission is to champion the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of chest diseases through education, communication and research. It serves as an essential connection to clinical knowledge and resources for its 19,000+ members from around the world who provide patient care in pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine. For information about the American College of Chest Physicians, visit chestnet.org.