World Asthma Day 2013 observed with theme, You Can Control Your Asthma

First Tuesday of May is observed as World Asthma Day

World Asthma Day was observed across the world on 7 May 2013. The day is observed across the world to spread awareness and care around the world including India. The theme for 2013 is You Can Control Your Asthma and the sub-theme for the year introduced by GINA is It's Time to Control Asthma.

The day is organized and sponsored by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) as a partnership between health care groups and asthma educators to raise awareness about asthma.

Across the world there are across 300 million people who are suffering from Asthma and of them 2.50 lakh deaths every year is attributed to the chronic respiratory disease Asthma.

About the World Asthma Day

The World Asthma Day is organised annually by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) to improve awareness and care of the world towards Asthma. World Asthma Day takes place each year on the first Tuesday in May. The World Asthma Day for the first time was organised in 1998 and was celebrated across 35 counties in conjunction with the first World Asthma Meeting that was held in Barcelona, Spain.

GINA is one of the founding participants in the World Health Organization's Global Alliance against Chronic Respiratory Diseases (GARD).

GINA Global Strategy to control Asthma

A strategy for achieving and maintaining asthma control is set out in the GINA Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention. The strategy requires four interrelated components of therapy:

• Develop patient/doctor partnership
• Identify and reduce exposure to risk factors
• Assess, treat, and monitor asthma
• Manage asthma exacerbations