Country Reports from the South-East Asian Region

Asthma prevalence has shown no increase in the South-East Asian Region in repeated cross-sectional studies undertaken by the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) and the Global Asthma Network (GAN). In Thailand asthma prevalence is stable while it is showing a decreasing trend in India and Sri Lanka. However air pollution, biomass fuel and inadequate treatment are important challenges in this region. Public education, regular supply of affordable inhalers and proper implementation of asthma treatment guidelines are required to achieve improvements.