Preface
Asthma remains a worldwide health problem
The Global Asthma Report (GAR) 2022 is the fourth in a series of GARs published in 2011, 2014 and 2018. The latest three reports have been produced by the Global Asthma Network (GAN), while the first was a combined production by The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) and the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC). The value of these first three reports is indicated by more than 200,000 downloads.
Recognition of asthma as one of the most common non-communicable diseases (NCDs) has increased. The United Nations (UN) has included asthma in all its NCD deliberations, with three High Level Meetings to date (2011, 2014, 2018) and another scheduled for 2025. In 2015 the UN created the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in which Goal 3 “ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages” specifically addresses health priorities. Several targets and indicators under this goal relate to reducing the global burden of asthma death and disability.
In this GAR, authored by 97 people from 31 countries, we summarise new asthma research by GAN – prevalence and severity of asthma, changes over time, and how it is managed. We write this in the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has had devastating effects on people around the world and we report GAN research on children with asthma and COVID-19. Before the pandemic many people with asthma, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), were unable to access the quality-assured essential asthma medicines and care they need, and that may have worsened.
The Global Asthma Network has been advocating for equitable access to affordable good quality essential medicines for the treatment of asthma for more than 10 years. Unfortunately, progress to achieve this important goal within World Health Organization’s (WHO) Universal Health Coverage policy has been very limited in many low- and middle-income countries. Lack of commitment by governments and financial instruments to purchase these essential medicines are not the only barriers. Increased engagement from WHO is needed to start prequalifying affordable inhalers and convince its member states to only purchase and stock medicines from reliable sources. Health care systems and their health care personnel, national professional societies and patient advocacy organisations need to increase their efforts to ensure that patients use their medicines and inhalers correctly and as prescribed. This will also contribute to improved access to medicines.
Our section on the six WHO regions, includes insightful accounts, mainly from some countries which have participated in GAN Phase I. It is particularly sobering to read about large impacts that conflict has on asthma written by colleagues in Syria. Tragically these issues affect all people with asthma caught up in conflict. GAN supports all efforts to strive for peace and avoid conflict wherever it is occurring or may arise.
We hope you will find this report useful. We will continue to work together to increase the worldwide understanding of this disease, and to reduce the burden and suffering from asthma, over the next few years.
