World Asthma Day May 4, 2004

Australia leads the way toward better asthma management

Prevalence of asthma increasing in East Asia and the Pacific Region

Australia continues to lead the way in asthma management and education, according to an international study titled ‘The Global Burden of Asthma’. The study reveals that the education and management programs developed and put into action by the National Asthma Council, Asthma Foundations of Australia and other Australian organisations in asthma have proven effective and can be adapted by other countries.

Asthma is estimated to affect as many as 300 million people worldwide—a number that could increase by a further 100 to 150 million by 2025.

Asthma is a chronic lung disease characterised by recurrent breathing problems and symptoms such as breathlessness, wheezing, chest tightness, and coughing. When it is not effectively treated, asthma often leads to hospitalization, missed work and school, limitations on physical activity, sleepless nights and in some cases death.

By world standards, Australia has made considerable progress in improving the standards of asthma care, raising public awareness, achieving Government recognition and improving the way people manage their own asthma. Further good news is that two recent studies indicate that the prevalence of asthma in children may now be declining in Australia for the first time since the 1980s.

The report notes that the Australian Government’s acknowledgment of asthma as a National Health Priority is an important component in this process. The funding and recognition provided by the Australian Government, through the Department of Health and Ageing, has enabled very important initiatives to occur including the GP intervention, the Asthma 3+ Visit Plan, developed by the National Asthma Council and the Asthma Friendly Schools program conducted by the Asthma Foundations.

However, the prevalence of asthma in Australia is still high. So, with this in mind, the National Asthma Council and Asthma Foundations of Australia mark the seventh World Asthma Day as an opportunity to highlight the importance of good asthma management.

“While much has been achieved, we must not be complacent. We have to keep working hard to help people with asthma control their asthma symptoms and so enjoy a better quality of life. In particular, we encourage anyone with asthma to contact their GP for a proactive program of asthma management.

“The seven Asthma Foundations are vital local sources of information for people with asthma. In each State and Territory people with asthma and their carers can receive direct and up-to-date information on good asthma management and participate in programs and activities.”

Prevalence of Asthma – Regional Trends

Today, nearly 44 million people in the East Asia/Pacific region have asthma.

In Taiwan, the prevalence of asthma symptoms has increased almost five-fold over a 20-year period, illustrating just how quickly substantial increases in asthma prevalence may occur. In Japan the number of asthma patients treated by medical facilities today is over 100 cases per day, per 100,000 people—just 30 years ago it was 3 cases per day, per 100,000.

Again, these trends are likely to continue, consistent with increasing urbanisation and adoption of a Western lifestyle, and are predicted to produce a sharp increase in asthma during the next decade. In Oceania — which includes Australia, New Zealand, and Pacific Islands—the prevalence of asthma is about 15%, among the highest in the world. In China and nearby countries, by contrast, the current prevalence of asthma is only 2%, although this amounts to 27.8 million people with asthma in this populous region.

Hospitalization rates for asthma indicate that treating patients with severe asthma is a heavy burden on healthcare resource use throughout East Asia and the Pacific. In China and nearby countries, over 1 in 3 people with asthma require urgent medical care, emergency room visits, or hospitalisation for asthma each year.

Mortality data also reflect the burden of severe asthma in the region, with China recording one of the highest asthma case fatality rates in the world.

Background of the Report

The Global Burden of Asthma Report is a comprehensive survey of the prevalence and impact of asthma around the world, based on standardized data collected in epidemiology studies in more than 80 countries.

The report was commissioned by the Global Initiative for Asthma, an international initiative launched in 1993 to work with healthcare professionals and public health officials around the world to reduce the burden of asthma.