Country Reports from Latin America

In Latin America, great efforts and many campaigns have been carried out to detect and manage asthma and other allergic diseases. Several studies have been undertaken throughout the region by the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) and the Global Asthma Network (GAN). However, socio-economic and political factors are still barriers for medical care reaching the entire population. It is, therefore, necessary to reinforce and achieve access to affordable, quality-assured, essential asthma medicines, as well as to educate first-contact health personnel and parents, to improve the quality of life of schoolchildren and adolescents into adulthood.