World Asthma Day 2025 | 06 May 2025

Why in News? 

World Asthma Day is observed on the second Tuesday of May to raise awareness about the condition and the risks it poses. 

 Key Points 

• World Asthma Day 2025:  
  • In 2025, it falls on Tuesday, 6 May, with the theme “Make inhaled treatments accessible for all.” 
  • The theme emphasizes the need to make inhaled medications widely available for both disease management and emergency care. 
• About Asthma: 
  • Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease where a person’s airways become inflamed, narrowed, and swollen, producing excess mucus, which makes breathing difficult. 
  • The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), defines asthma as a condition that can cause recurring episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and coughing. 
  • Global Burden:  
    • Over 250 million people around the world live with asthma, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). 
    • In 2019, asthma caused approximately 455,000 deaths globally, highlighting the urgent need for better disease control and treatment access. 
• History and Origin: 
  • The Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) launched the first World Asthma Day in 1998 during the World Asthma Meeting in Barcelona, Spain, with participation from 35 countries. 
  • Since then, the event has grown globally and is now considered one of the most significant asthma education and awareness days.