Over 50 million people in Central and Southern Asia* have asthma, and many do not have access to the medications that can control the disease, according to a report released today, World Asthma Day. The Global Burden of Asthma Report, which details the prevalence, morbidity, and mortality of asthma in 20 regions around the world, reveals a number of alarming facts about the burden of this chronic respiratory disease in Central and Southern Asia.

Due to rapid industrialization and urbanization throughout the region, the prevalence of asthma is predicted to increase rapidly in the coming years. The increase is likely to be particularly dramatic in India, which is projected to become the world's most populous nation by 2050. An absolute 2% increase in the prevalence of asthma in India would result in an additional 20 million people with the disease.

The prevalence of asthma in Central and Southern Asia ranges from 1.5% in Nepal to 4.6% in Uzbekistan - relatively low compared to some other parts of the world. However, the prevalence of asthma has increased markedly in recent years, with up to a threefold increase seen among children in Southern Asia over the last two decades.

Asthma is a chronic lung disease characterized by recurrent breathing problems and symptoms such as breathlessness, wheezing, chest tightness, and coughing. Asthma symptoms vary over time, and also differ in severity from one individual to another. 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.

Although asthma cannot be cured, effective medications to treat and manage the disease exist. One of the authors of the Global Burden of Asthma Report, Professor Richard Beasley, of the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand, says, "In Central and Southern Asia, effective asthma management is often limited by lack of availability or affordability of medications." In some areas widespread misconceptions about asthma and its treatment, and reluctance of patients to use the inhaler devices that are key to effective delivery of asthma medicines, also pose challenges. "Low-cost asthma education and management programs are needed to ensure that asthma care is available and affordable for all segments of the population in Central and Southern Asia," adds Professor Beasley.

The high levels of air pollution in Central and Southern Asia are also cause for concern. "The inhabitants of some Indian and Bangladeshi cities are exposed to some of the highest air pollution levels in the world," Professor Beasley says. "Air pollution can trigger asthma attacks, and can also worsen the symptoms of a variety of other respiratory diseases." Indoor air pollution, from burning biomass fuel for cooking and heating in poorly ventilated dwellings, also contributes to the burden of asthma and other respiratory diseases in the region.

Asthma is now one of the world's most common long-term conditions, according to the Global Burden of Asthma Report. The disease is estimated to affect as many as 300 million people worldwide - a number that could increase by a further 100 million by 2025.

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.