State PCS - Uttarakhand (UKPSC)

• 06 May 2025

World Asthma Day 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.